


Someone you loved

by Stella_Luna777



Category: Naruto
Genre: BAMF Haruno Sakura, BAMF Hatake Kakashi, BAMF Uchiha Sasuke, BAMF Uzumaki Naruto, Canon-Typical Violence, Eventual Happy Ending, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Hurt/Comfort, Konohagakure | Hidden Leaf Village, M/M, Near Death Experiences, Protective Hatake Kakashi, Romance, Team as Family, Uchiha Massacre, Uzushiogakure | Hidden Eddy Village
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-01
Updated: 2021-03-02
Packaged: 2021-03-08 22:47:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 84,726
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27324496
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stella_Luna777/pseuds/Stella_Luna777
Summary: How much can a heart take before it bleeds?How far can someone go until they shatter?In one night Uchiha Chiasa's entire world collapsed and she was left to pick up the pieces. Haunted by the ghosts of her past, she decides to do what she had never thought possible, leaving Konoha.With her brother in tow she continues to run until one day, Hatake Kakashi finds her, asking her to return home.But when all she did for years was to fight and struggle to survive, can she let herself believe in someone again?
Relationships: Hatake Kakashi/Original Female Character(s), Uchiha Sasuke/Uzumaki Naruto
Comments: 20
Kudos: 129





	1. Prologue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone,  
> So, I know I said I'd update on specific days but then I realised that it feels stupid sitting on finished chapters without publishing them and that it sort of takes out the fun of writing. 
> 
> Instead, I'll simply update everything I have by now in the next couple of days and after that updates will be depending on much time I have.
> 
> Also, this story is a fanfiction and obviously not entirely like canon. So if things don't add up then that's because I've changed it. 
> 
> I'd really appreciate it if you could leave a kudos or comment and give me constructive critiscm. English is not my first language so if there are some mistakes, please, bare with it.  
> Someone you loved is not my first story so if you're curious you should check out Atonement. Both, Someone you loved and Atonement are also on Wattpad under my username Stella-Luna. Atonement is already completed and even has a sequel on wattpad, so if you want to read the entire story without having to wait for updates that would be your best chance.
> 
> Anyway, I won't hold you up any longer, so enjoy the next chapter. 
> 
> Love, Stella xx

Chiasa was running faster than ever before. Faster and faster and faster. If anyone saw her, they'd only see a black and red blur, wondering if it had been a trick of the light. The ebony-haired girl was exhausted, her muscles screaming for her to stop, she was already scrapping at the bottom of her chakra reserves, but she pushed further.

She couldn't stop here! She needed to return home!

Above her she heard the cry of her trusted partner - a gorgeous female falcon named Fumiko – telling her about the squad of Kusa shinobi two hundred metres to her left. Without hesitation she took her katana in one hand and, in a whirlwind of black and red, disarmed and incapacitated the squad. She could have avoided them, but right now the only thing on her mind was to return home and those shinobi were simply in the way.

The girl had been on a long-term assassination mission with her ANBU team, high up in the north of the Land of Earth, until a week ago a letter of her brother had reached her.

It was the first time that he had ever asked her for help, begged her for guidance because he didn't know what to do anymore. Her brother was hailed a prodigy in Konoha, but everyone forgot that he was only a thirteen-year-old child, far too young to shoulder the kind of responsibilities that their father and village willingly put on his shoulders.

As soon as she had read the last lines of the letter and noticed the tear drops that grazed the paper, she had turned on her heel and ran. She left her ANBU team behind, not caring that she essentially abandoned her mission. It took her a day to finally get rid of her teammates, after all she was the best assassin Konoha ever had and she excelled in disappearing without a trace. Afterwards, she raced straight towards Konoha.

After seven days of running with the occasional short breaks, she was only a mile or two away from Konoha. With a low whistle she told Fumiko to scout out the situation, whilst she stopped to gasp for air. _'_

 _I'm almost home, Itachi, Sasuke. Just hold on.'_ she thought desperately.

Minutes later, Fumiko appeared again, circling above her. Taking another deep breath, Chiasa gathered the last of her chakra, pushing it into her legs to keep pace with Fumiko.

Fumiko led her around the village, towards the outskirt where her clan had its compound.

With a push of her chakra, she climbed the high village wall but when she prepared to jump down, she stumbled as a horrifying ache cut deep into her heart. A silent scream on her lips, she grasped her chest and crouched down.

She wasn't an excellent sensor, but she was good. And that pain was unmistakably the disappearance of her parent's chakra signatures.

Fear grasped her heart and overshadowed the unbearable pain, fear for her brothers was what pushed her further, it had always been her driving force. Not the village, not the clan, just her little brothers.

Jumping down, she landed in the middle of a massacre. Her clansmen lay around her, slaughtered like pigs. Children, women, men, elder. Nobody had been spared.

Lightheaded, she carried on. She ran through the streets in which she had grown up, crossed places that were full of childhood memories but were now drenched in the blood of her kin. Fumiko had descended to her shoulder, giving her comfort and strength.

Slowly, with every death she saw the fear she felt turned into furious rage. Rage at the one who had done this and at the village for letting this happen. She had been in the compound for a few minutes and she couldn't sense an ANBU anywhere. Why was nobody here?!

"Itachi, Sasuke, please be okay," she whispered shakily.

She tried to reassure herself that Itachi was strong, that he'd be able to protect their little brother. But facts didn't help to calm her raising fear and anger.

Suddenly she heard the cries of her youngest brother.

"It's a lie... This isn't like you, Nii-san. It can't be..." _'_

_Sasuke!'_

Leaping up to a roof top, Chiasa could see the street beneath her. Her heart almost burst with relief as she saw her brothers, alive and unharmed when you ignored Sasuke's slightly cut shirt. However, her relief was short lived as she took in the situation.

Why was Itachi standing opposite to Sasuke? Why was their little brother close to tears?

"I acted like the older brother you desired..."

Chiasa had heard enough. Whatever was going on, it needed to stop now. Itachi would never say such cruel words to Sasuke, something must have happened whilst she was away. Cold dread filled her when she realized that, maybe, she was too late. Maybe she had answered her brother's cry for help too late.

Without wasting more precious time, she leaped down and between Itachi and Sasuke.

"What the hell is going on?" she growled, wanting answers.

Itachi looked at her silently, his eyes dull and torn.

"Chiasa," he spoke her name without any sort of emotion as if she was a stranger.

Her youngest brother promptly searched for her protection, holding on tightly to the tail of her grey ANBU armour. Whimpering, he pressed his little face into her side.

"Nee-chan."

The Uchiha Clan was the clan that loved like no other, that was a fact many forgot over time. So, when her two brothers stood on different sides - one scared to death by what he had witnessed, one destroyed by what he had done – her heart not only broke but shattered into millions of pieces. And all without a single sound.

Her left hand pulled Sasuke closer to her whilst her right held her blade lightly in front of them.

"Tell me, Itachi."

There was no way she'd be able to beat Itachi if he attacked her now, Chiasa knew that and Itachi knew it too; she had exhausted her chakra reserves during her trip back to the village and was only standing because of her desire to protect her family. Despite that, her little brother turned around to leave.

"You are foolish if you believe you could win against me, Chiasa," he said coldly. "If you wish to kill me, resent me, hate me. And survive..."

Gritting her teeth, the ebony-haired girl muttered exasperated: "Enough, Tachi. Sasu doesn't need to hear another word. I don't know what happened while I was gone but be sure that I'll save you. I'll figure everything out and then I'll drag you back home even if I have to break all your bones before that."

It was only because of her sharingan that she noticed Itachi's shoulder sagging slightly and some tension leaving. Turning slightly so that she saw the side of his face, her little brother looked at her with deep red and black eyes. _'_

 _Mangekyo Sharingan,'_ she gasped quietly.

But her focus wasn't on the powerful dojutsu but on the lone tear in her brother's eye.

Without another word Itachi disappeared in a cluster of ravens.

"I'll save you," Chiasa whispered into the cold night before crouching down to her distraught little brother.

Sasuke immediately launched himself into her arms, slinging his thin arms around her neck, sobbing hysterically into her embrace.

"He killed them, Nee-chan!"

Chiasa took the small boy in her arms and stood up again. Soothingly, she rubbed his back, humming a melody their mother had always sung to calm them down.

At the same time her mind was racing with thoughts and plans. She was tired but she couldn't rest until Sasuke was save.

"Fumiko, scout the surroundings. Tell me if anyone enters the compound."

With a gentle peck on the cheek, the falcon descended into the air.

She had abandoned her mission which would undoubtedly have consequences. She and Sasuke could stay here in Konoha but ... the village hadn't even noticed that Itachi had killed – slaughtered – their entire clan. How could they protect her little brother like this?

And then there was the fact that Itachi had done something that would mark him as missing-nin, that would force him to leave the village that he cherished so much. Chiasa knew her brother better than anyone. She knew what he thought about the clan, what he thought about the village, what his dream was. Itachi had cried in her arms when he had been accepted into ANBU, deep in the middle of the night when nobody would hear him. After Shisui, she was the only one he could confine to. Something didn't add up.

Sighing deeply, she looked up into the night sky. _'_

_Kaa-san, Tou-san. Please look after us. I swear I'll bring our family back together.'_

"Sasuke," she whispered gently, and the weeping boy looked up to her. "We're going to leave the village for a while until I'm certain that it is save. Are you okay with that?"

The boy looked at her with panic-widened eyes, grasping tightly at her armour.

"Don't leave me!" he sobbed hysterically.

"I'm never going to leave you, Sasu. I promise you."

With the crying boy in her arms, Chiasa walked towards their home. She needed to pack a few things before they could leave, at least for Sasuke. She still had her mission pack in one of her storage scrolls.

When she stepped back into their house, Sasuke had fallen asleep, the exhaustion of the night having been too much on the young boy.

"I'm home," she muttered quietly but silence was the only answer she received.

Almost as if she was hypnotised, her eyes focused on the blood drops that led to their living room. With only slight hesitation, she pushed open the door.

Her sharingan was still activated so the image of her parents laying in their own blood was burned forever into her mind.

Trembling, she kneeled to close their eyes softly, thankful that Sasuke was asleep. Tears streamed down her face when she turned away.

Inside of Sasuke's room, she opened one of her storage scrolls and packed everything she thought necessary. They wouldn't return for a long time and she didn't want to wake him to ask what he'd like to take with him.

When she was done with his room, she walked to their parents' room. There, she only took their family photo with her.

Her last stop before she'd leave the village for good was the backyard of their house. There in one corner stood her falconry, that her parents had gifted her at her tenth birthday. That had been six years ago.

Ever since she could remember, she had had a strange fascination with the elegant birds and the birds had the same strange fascination with her. She had found Fumiko in the forest and had healed her broken wing and from then on, she had followed her everywhere. A couple of weeks later, another falcon had joined their small group and from there on, more and more had joined. In the end the clan had been so annoyed by the large birds flying around everywhere, that her parents had gifted her the falconry.

Some had left after that, only returning occasionally, others had stayed, but Fumiko had been the only one who continued to follow her stubbornly anywhere.

"Hisa, Takeo, Satoshi, Hiroki, Shizu," Chiasa called out to her falcons, softly.

Those five had chosen to stay with her.

With a heavy heart, she opened the cage, letting them out. The birds circled her, letting out cries of joy for her return. Chiasa loved her falcons deeply, they were her best friends, a part of her family.

"You can leave now," she told them with an aching heart.

Satoshi was the first one to land on her shoulder, the dark red male falcon bit her cheek affectionally, crooning into her ear softly before flying off. The others soon followed his example, causing Chiasa to shed silent tears.

In the span of a few hours she had lost her clan, her parents, her little brother and now her falcons too. All that was left was Sasuke.

She watched sorrowful as the majestic birds ascended into the night sky, soon to be swallowed by the darkness.

Suddenly Fumiko landed on her shoulder, telling her that it was time. Somebody had entered the Uchiha compound.

Chiasa took one last deep breath, throwing a last longingly gaze at her home before she casted a simple genjutsu to hide her brother and herself. She was fast and an excellent assassin, she excelled in disappearing, they wouldn't catch them. _'We should be safe in in Sora-ku for the night, Nekobaa will let us rest.'_

* * *

Sarutobi Hiruzen, the third Hokage of Konoha, sat tiredly in his office smoking his pipe. Suddenly a hooded figure dropped from the ceiling, landing on its knees before standing up to its full height.

The old man looked with pain at the young girl, one of the two survivors of this horrible massacre.

"Uchiha Chiasa. I suppose you have already heard and have Sasuke since we are unable to locate him. You have my greatest condolence for your loss. The village will pay for your and your brother's expenses until you feel fit to return to the active duty."

"Be quiet, old man," her cold voice interrupted him harshly and Hiruzen shivered at the bottomless fury in her bloodred eyes. "Never doubt my loyalty to my village, to Konoha, but first and foremost I am loyal to my family. Not to my clan, not to my village but to my brothers. I will always fight for Konoha and honour the Will of Fire, but right now my brother is my utmost priority. Unfortunately," – a sad smile grazed her face – "I don't believe Konoha is safe anymore."

Cautiously, Hiruzen sat down his pipe and folded his hands thoughtfully.

"I assure you something like this will never happen again. I am even willing to put ANBU protection on young Sasuke if you'd like."

"That isn't enough."

Chiasa stepped forward until she stood directly in front of the Hokage's desk, able to look Hiruzen directly into his eyes. The man could finally see the tears in her eyes and his heart broke for the girl that he had made into an orphan overnight. He feared what would happen if she ever figured out the truth. Itachi was not the only one that deserved his apology. Chiasa and Sasuke too, for he had taken their family from them. He had willingly left a sixteen-year-old girl orphaned with her seven-year-old brother.

"Sasuke and I will leave until I deem it save to return. I hope you can understand," she continued as if she wasn't crying in front of him.

The old man frowned as the ebony-haired girl revealed her plan. Although he understood where she came from and her desire to leave, he couldn't allow it. He had promised Itachi to keep his siblings safe and, furthermore, the council would raise hell if he let the last two Uchiha leave Konoha.

"I'm sorry, Chiasa, but I can't allow that. You and Sasuke will be safe in Konoha, I promise you."

"I don't want your empty promises," she chuckled lowly, her face turning into a pained grimace. "And I'm sorry that you think you can stop me."

Slowly, she took out a black hitai-ate from her weapons-pouch, putting it gently on the desk.

"I would like to ask you not to mark me down as a missing-nin for Konoha will always have my loyalty. However, I also know that you might not care. No matter what you decide, I'll accept the consequences. Whereas I don't believe in your promises anymore, I'd like to promise you something, nevertheless. One day, when I deem Konoha safe again, I will return with Sasuke. ... It was an honour to serve under you, Hokage-sama. May the Will of Fire always be with you."

"Chiasa- "

The girl dissolved in a cloud of smoke and Hiruzen let his head hang down, eyes fixed on the hitai-ate that shone in the moon light.

"A shadow clone," whispered the old Hokage exhausted.

He should have known better. Chiasa was a prodigy just like her brother, although her skills lay in another division.

Staring out into the night, he repeated her farewell quietly: "And may the Will of Fire always be with you, Uchiha Chiasa."


	2. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone,   
> So, I know I said I'd update on specific days but then I realised that it feels stupid sitting on finished chapters without publishing them and that it sort of takes out the fun of writing. 
> 
> Instead, I'll simply update everything I have by now in the next couple of days and after that updates will be depending on much time I have.
> 
> Also, this story is a fanfiction and obviously not entirely like canon. So if things don't add up then that's because I've changed it. 
> 
> I'd really appreciate it if you could leave a kudos or comment and give me constructive critiscm. English is not my first language so if there are some mistakes, please, bare with it.   
> Bleeding Heart is not my first story so if you're curious you should check out Atonement. Both, Bleeding Heart and Atonement are also on Wattpad under my username Stella-Luna. Atonement is already completed and even has a sequel on wattpad, so if you want to read the entire story without having to wait for updates that would be your best chance.
> 
> Anyway, I won't hold you up any longer, so enjoy the next chapter. 
> 
> Love, Stella xx

**_~ Time skip 5 years ~_ **

Hiruzen slowly took a deep drag of his pipe, as he reread the scroll Jiraiya had send him. There was a certain crinkle in his eyes that spoke of happiness and relief. Stroking his beard with one hand, he turned around, looking at the sunrise that painted Konoha in a mystical light.

“Get me Hatake Kakashi.”

The quiet sound of a drop told him that one of his ANBU guards had gone to retrieve said Jounin, but experience had taught him that the man wouldn’t come until at least an hour later. So, he had time to reminisce in old memories.

 _‘Five years. We finally found you after five long years, Chiasa. Who would have thought that you and Sasuke-kun were so close by? I’m sure you’ll have many stories to tell and I’m looking forward to hearing all of them. Especially, how you were able to escape Jiraiya’s spy system until now,’_ pondered the old man, a small smile on his tired face. _‘My old student is furious.’_

Two hours later, a certain silver-haired Jounin finally entered the Hokage office through the window. Hiruzen could literally feel the annoyance of his ANBU guards, but wisely chose to ignore them. Instead he focused on the lazy Jounin in front of him.

“Kakashi, it’s nice of you to come.”

“Ma, you’ve sent for me and here I am,” replied Kakashi bored as he turned a page of his Icha-Icha Paradise.

“That is correct.”

Suddenly, the privacy seals of the office lightened up and the ANBU guards disappeared with a wave from Hiruzen.

Kakashi immediately turned from lazy to serious, and pocketed his orange book, stuffing his fists into his pockets.

“So, it is something serious, Hokage-sama.”

His lone eye glinted dangerously in anticipation of the mission.

It had been far too long since he had had a difficult mission, the Hokage having pulled him out of ANBU in favour of making him a Jounin-sensei. Him! Friend-killer Kakashi! The old man never wanted to listen to his warnings that he was not suited to look after young, impressionable children.

“Yes, I have an A-class mission for you. However, it could also easily change into an S-class one if the conditions change. Do you accept?” inquired Hiruzen, already knowing the answer but it was just polite to ask.

He didn’t know how much Chiasa had changed in the last five years and how she’d react to a shinobi of Konoha calling her back home. Hopefully, she was still the same kind-hearted girl she had been before the massacre.

“Of course.”

It didn’t even matter to Kakashi that the Hokage hadn’t told him the mission objective. He’d take any mission he could, the work helped him to forget all the things that haunted him day and night.

“Very well.”

The Hokage breathed out a cloud of smoke before laying down his pipe and folding his hands in front of him.

“Five years ago, on the night of the Uchiha massacre, I’ve sent Uchiha Chiasa and her younger brother, Uchiha Sasuke, on a long-term mission; at least, that is what officially happened. In truth, Chiasa left the village with her brother because she no longer deemed Konoha safe. She asked me not to mark her down as missing-nin, but was willing to accept the consequences regardless and promised to one day to return. I told the council that I sent both on a mission, whilst I ordered Jiraiya at the same time to find them. I don’t know how she did it, but she managed to escape Jiraiya’s spies for five years, until recently.

Your mission is to tell her that she can come home now or be marked down as missing-nin. If she doesn’t want to return, I can no longer protect her from the council, and they will hunt her down with everything they have.”

Hiruzen took out a folder, handing it to Kakashi who had listened attentively to every word. He, like many others, had wondered what had happened to Itachi’s siblings after the massacre, since no mission that the Hokage would assign a Jounin and civilian would take five years. Curiously, the Hatake opened the folder, staring at the photo of a gorgeous girl. It must have been taken shortly before the massacre since the girl on the picture was around the age of sixteen or fifteen.

 _‘She is beautiful,’_ he thought breathlessly.

Deep onyx eyes stared back at him, seated in a face shape that most would describe as above average in beauty and fair white skin, with full lips and elegant brows. He didn’t want to imagine what she must look like now, five years older.

“Uchiha Chiasa,” he muttered lowly, testing how her name would sound from his lips.

Itachi had rarely talked about his older sister and honestly, he hadn’t really cared. At that time, he had been throwing himself into suicide mission after suicide mission, all in order to escape his nightmares.

A coughing noise ripped him out of his thoughts, and he stared embarrassed into the smug face of his Hokage. He was glad that he wore a mask that hid his blush.

“I know she is a pretty girl, Kakashi, but please concentrate on the mission,” said Hiruzen amused.

“Of course, Hokage-sama.” Kakashi hurriedly turned to another page of the folder.

He continued to read for a few minutes in silence, until he looked up again, a questioningly expression on his face.

“Excuse me, Hokage-sama, but how come Itachi have been the clan heir until the massacre when Chiasa-san is older?”

It had been a question that had bugged him ever since he remembered that Itachi had had an older sister. As far as he knew, the girl hadn’t been disowned by her family, so why wasn’t she clan heir?

“Ah, that is easily answered,” mused Hiruzen. “As you know, the life expectancy of a shinobi is quite short, but the life expectancy of a shinobi specializing in assassination is even shorter. Chiasa was determined to follow the path of an assassin, and after many fights her parents allowed it, under the condition that Itachi was named heir. Chiasa readily agreed to it, hence why her brother was clan heir until the massacre. Now that Itachi is a missing-nin, Chiasa is clan heir again.”

“Makes sense,” muttered Kakashi thoughtfully.

That would also explain why the girl had been able to evade Jiraiya-sama’s spies for so long. There was just one other question that he’d like to have an answer to.

“The file says she was ANBU. Did I know her?”

If he did, it would probably be helpful. Or it could complicate the entire thing. He wasn’t sure of that.

Hiruzen stroke his beard thoughtfully, as he thought back to the missions Chiasa had partaken as ANBU.

“No, I don’t think so. Does the codename Falcon tell you anything?”

For a moment Kakashi’s heart stopped as he heard that codename. Just like their ANBU Commander Boar, the masks of Weasel, Hound and Falcon had a certain fame to their name. Not much was known about the ANBU Falcon other than that he was an assassin - if you believed the rumours the best Konoha had had in decades - and that she was female.

He quickly caught himself, suppressing the small hysteric chuckle that wanted to escape him, and nodded composed. Of course, the Hokage would send him after his best assassin, of course. He’d thank Kami if he survived this trip.

“I’ve heard of her,” he replied calmly, whilst his mind was already making plans to best approach her non-threateningly.

“Good.” The Hokage scratched his chin contemplative. “She excels at genjutsu and kenjutsu and is sufficient enough in ninjutsu to become Jounin. Her weak point is, like most Uchiha, taijutsu. She has an affinity for fire and wind, though fire is her main one. As far as I remember, she didn’t use them much, focusing more on her genjutsu or kenjutsu. However, I don’t know how much that has changed over the years, now, that she has to protect Sasuke. Before, she was like a shadow, in and out before you even realized, she was there. Now, she could have very well turned herself into a ninjutsu master. Kakashi,” Hiruzen eyed the silver-haired Jounin persuasively. “If there is one thing, I remember about Chiasa, then that she is fierce. Sasuke is all she has left, and she’ll protect him to her last breath, if she sees you as a threat, you need to retreat!"

Scratching the back of his head, Kakashi looked up to the ceiling. This all sounded so very troublesome, but at the same time he was curious to see the girl in real life. The Uchiha were a formidable clan, Itachi being just one example of what heights they could reach. Now there was a survivor living somewhere in the Elemental Nations with the only goal to keep her brother alive. He wondered to what heights she had grown to.

“Is there anything else you can tell me about her or Sasuke?”

“No.” Hiruzen shook his head slowly. “The rest you have to figure out for yourself. The two live in the ruins of Uzushio, and from the looks of it, have been for a year, at least. You have until the Academy graduation to return with them, that is in about one and a half weeks. You’ll need about half a week to Uzushio and a week when you travel with civilians. It is tight but I’m positive you and Chiasa will find a way to return in time.”

A sly smile grazed Kakashi’s face, when he thought, that perhaps he’d be able to miss this year’s graduation and having to take on a genin team. He would just blame the Uchiha for being late.

“By the way, Kakashi.” Hiruzen grinned smugly whilst taking a drag from his pipe. “Uchiha Sasuke will join this year’s graduation class. When, and I have no doubt about it considering that Chiasa will have trained him to some extent, he passes the graduation exam he will be on your genin team.”

The smile fell from Kakashi’s face and he stared wordlessly at the Hokage. The man was definitely a sadist. He enjoyed his pain.

“I’ll be on my way then, Hokage-sama,” he muttered through gritted teeth, shunshining away.

Hiruzen stared for a moment longer on the pile of leaves where Kakashi had stood, before shrugging and turning his attention back to his paperwork. He truly hoped Kakashi would be able to bring the two Uchiha home.

* * *

“Come inside for dinner, Sasuke!”

Chiasa stood in the kitchen, a ladle in one hand, calling out for her younger brother, who was playing outside with Fumiko. A tired sigh escaped her as she glanced at the family photograph on the shelf next to her.

It had been five years since that day, and the pain was still the same as before. At least they had finally a place to live in, even if it wasn’t forever. Uzushio was a good place to hide, nobody dared to step onto the island in fear of the Uzumaki ghosts, but Chiasa didn’t have the luxury to worry over dead people. The ruins gave plenty of opportunities for hidden traps and genjutsus, and she was positive that most shinobi wouldn’t be able to come close to their small house without alerting her. And then there was also Fumiko, who regularly orbited the island as lookout for any threats. All in all, Uzushio was probably the safest they had ever been in those years.

“What’s for dinner, Nee-san?” asked Sasuke curiously as he came inside to hug her.

Her little brother had grown into quite the stunning young boy and she knew that if he had stayed in Konoha, he’d have a horde of fangirls by now. She was only glad that he hadn’t lost his laugh and love after the massacre and she did everything to keep it that way. Giving him a peck on the forehead, she ushered him into the dining room.

“Your favourite, little brother. Onigiri with okaka and tomatoes. Now go and sit down.”

Sasuke grinned at his older sister, unknowingly warming her heart, and lifting some of her tiredness.

“You’re the best!” he exclaimed and hastened to take his seat.

Chiasa stared after him, quietly whispering: “I try my best, little brother. I just pray it is enough.”

Eventually, she grabbed the two plates with food and carried them into their dining room.

Dining room was such a large word for the small room in their little house, it was more like a room with a window in which a table, a chair and a couch stood. It wasn’t much and far from the luxury that had been their previous house in the Uchiha compound, but Chiasa tried to make the best with the things she got.

She put the plate gently in front of her brother, who had sat down on the couch and took her place opposite to him.

Clasping their hands together, the two muttered a quiet: “Itadakimasu.” before starting to eat.

They spent the first minutes in silence until Sasuke began to talk exuberantly about the trip he had made into the ruins, obviously accompanied by Fumiko.

Sasuke had realized early on that his sister was immensely protective of him and hated it, when he was out of her sight, but was slightly more relaxed when he was with Fumiko. It wasn’t a problem for him to take Fumiko everywhere if it helped his sister. She did so much for him, more than she would ever tell him, the least he could do was to take a bit of the burden from her. He was not blind; he had seen the many protection measurements around their little house and around the island and knew that his sister was always in a state of alertness. He had been too young to realize it before, but by now, he knew that they hid not only from Ita- that man and missing-nins but also from Konoha shinobi. They basically hid from every shinobi village in the Elemental Nations and it was exhausting, it must have been even more tiring for his sister than for him.

“There was that huge tree and I climbed it all to the top and from there I could see – “

The shrill cry of Fumiko interrupted their conversation abruptly and in a matter of seconds, Chiasa was by the door, hand on her katana and the other one going through the one-handed seals for the sly-mind affect technique.

“Go to your room and lock the door after you. Take dinner with you and try to eat as much as you can, I don’t know if we have to leave,” she told him harshly, her eyes staring intensely into Sasuke’s. “Don’t open your door under any circumstances until I say otherwise.”

Sasuke had quickly gathered his things to run to his room. It was not the first time that this had happened, but it was the first time since they had moved to Uzushio. No matter how often it happened, he’d never be comfortable with the gut clenching fear that overtook him whenever his sister left.

“I love you, Nee-san,” he whispered before locking the door after him, just in time before there was a knock on their front door.

 _‘Definitely Jounin,’_ thought Chiasa grimly, gripping the doorknob tightly. _‘Nobody else could have evaded all of my traps and Fumiko, until now and break my genjutsu in seconds.’_

Cautiously, she opened the door a slit to look at the intruder.

Crimson red eyes met a lone dark grey one.

_‘Bingo Book entry 14, Hatake Kakashi; Affiliation: Konohagakure; Rank: Jounin…’_

Kakashi had a split second the lunge away to escape a powerful stream of fire. Wide eyed, he grabbed for a kunai to deflect the sharp blade that mercilessly slashed down on him.

Absentminded, Chiasa went through one handed seals for the Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing Technique whilst keeping up her assault at the Konoha shinobi. He’d break the genjutsu in seconds, but a second was all she needed to twist reality to her wishes. The sharingan was a handy tool to break through illusions, but even it couldn’t see through all when she was done. There was a reason Shisui had sometimes called her Genjutsu Queen.

Suddenly there was a dazed look in the shinobi’s eyes and Chiasa moved.

With incredible speed she went through the hand seals for the Demonic Illusion: Double False Surroundings Technique, placing illusion over illusion until the man wouldn’t even know how many he had dispelled. But she didn’t stop there, moulding her chakra for the Fire Style: Running Fire jutsu, creating a ring of fire around the shinobi on the ground and moved on to the hand seals for the Wind Style: Divine Wind to release a massive inferno. She didn’t worry about their house, Sasuke’s room was strengthened with protection seals that would even withstand an earthquake or - in this case - a massive fire inferno and his room was really the only one that mattered.

* * *

Kakashi didn’t know what happened. One second, he caught sight of the most gorgeous eyes he had ever seen, and the next he had to dodge away from fire jutsus and a katana, aimed to kill, and then he suddenly saw parts of Minato-sensei’s death. Realizing that it was a genjutsu he quickly dispelled it and pushed up his hitai-ate to use his sharingan. What he hadn’t expected was his sharingan telling him that he was in another genjutsu. No matter how many he dispelled, there were always more.

 _‘What the hell is that?’_ he silently cursed, remembering that the Hokage had mentioned that she exceled in genjutsu. _‘That was the understatement of the year!’_

He’d deny it if anyone asked, but it was pure luck that he dispelled the last genjutsu, just in time to see the circle of flames around him and the kunoichi going through the hand seals of what he figured was the Wind Style: Divine Wind technique.

With a silent curse on his lips, he substituted himself with some rubble from the ruins of Uzushio.

“Goddammit! I’m just here to talk!” he yelled as another fireball was flung into his direction.

His sharingan allowed Kakashi to see the conflicted expression on the woman’s face as she considered his words. He hoped she’d stop her attacks because he really didn’t want to retaliate.

“What do you want?” Chiasa shouted at him from where she stood.

She’d give him a minute to explain and then she’d continue to attack. Sasuke was more important than anything, but if she could spare a fellow Konoha shinobi, she’d like to do that.

Since the kunoichi didn’t make any sign of decreasing the distance between them, Kakashi resolved to simply waving the mission scroll and shouting back: “A letter from the Hokage.”

Following a secret sign, Fumiko descended on Kakashi, harshly taking the scroll out of his hand, but not before screeching loudly into his ear and ripping into his black fingerless cloves. Then she gently descended on Chiasa’s shoulder, letting her take the scroll out of her claws.

“Thanks, girl,” muttered Chiasa as she opened the scroll, reading the content quickly.

Incredulously, she looked up to where the silver-haired shinobi stood, watching her cautiously. She knew that he could see her perplexed expression with his sharingan.

“Is Hokage-sama serious?” she exclaimed warily, twisting the scroll in her hand thoughtfully.

If the Hokage was serious, that meant that Sasuke and her could return home without a problem. Her little brother could join the Academy and find friends, and she wouldn’t be apart from him. It would also explain why no Konoha shinobi had ever attacked them. She hadn’t wanted to believe that the Hokage might not have her marked as a missing-nin as per request. However, she still didn’t know what had caused Itachi to slaughter their clan and if Konoha was safe. Though, she was now stronger than she had been five years ago, her focus having changed from techniques that helped her killing in secret to techniques that would destroy whoever blocked her way.

She evaluated the shinobi opposite to her inwardly. Hatake Kakashi was good, really good. He had evaded her techniques without injuries, if you ignored the slight burns and occasional light cuts. If he was around Sasuke, her little brother would essentially be safer.

The Hatake slowly walked towards the ebony-haired kunoichi, holding his hands up in the universal surrender sign. She was like a wild tiger, he realized, and the slightest sharp movement could plunge her into another series of attacks, something that Kakashi would like to avoid.

“It is true, Uchiha-sama,” he remarked, remembering that the kunoichi was a clan heir. “Hokage-sama wishes for you and Sasuke to return home. Nobody knows that you left without the agreement of the Hokage and it will stay so, if you come back. If not Hokage-sama will be forced to declare the both of you as missing-nins. I’m positive you’d be able to protect yourself just fine but think of your younger brother.”

Chiasa narrowed her eyes at the man, annoyed that he’d dare to use her brother against her. Hatake Kakashi had no idea what they went through, and he didn’t need to pressure her into a decision for she had made one already.

“You don’t think I could protect my brother properly?” she asked him lowly, her grip on her katana subconsciously tightening.

At the same moment, Kakashi realized that he had made a mistake, and tried to safe what could be saved.

“Ma, that’s not what I meant,” he lazily drawled, stuffing his fists into his pockets.

He wasn’t good in being diplomatic, so he’d just be he’s usual self.

“I just meant that it would be easier to protect him inside the village, Uchiha-sama.”

Chiasa smirked slightly at the sudden aloofness in the man’s posture, she liked him more like that than whatever he had been trying before. It was pretty clear that he was more accustomed to killing then diplomatic missions.

“Just Chiasa, Uchiha-sama was my father,” she told him reluctantly, after looking him over again. “I suppose you’d accompany us back to the village?”

Arching an eyebrow, Kakashi looked at her perplexed. The way she had fought earlier, he had been certain it would take a lot of persuasion from his side to get her to return home.

“Chiasa then.”

Just like days ago, he breathed out her name a pleasant smile on his face.

There was a sheepish smile on the kunoichi’s face as she scratched the back of her neck and mentioned reluctantly: “So, I guess I should dispel the last layer of my genjutsu, Hatake-san.”

Kakashi stared at her incredulously, his lone eye widening in shock as he suddenly found himself hanging head down from one of the few trees around the small house.

Chiasa meanwhile lifted her blade away from his neck, putting it back into its sheath on her hip.

“How?” asked Kakashi perplexed as he cut himself free, landing on his knees.

Despite his sharingan, he hadn’t noticed that there was one last layer of genjutsu! How had she done that? He was curious as to how he’d fare in a fight against her when he had no reason to only dodge.

Bloodred eyes gazed at him warily before answering hesitantly: “It is one of my own techniques, although, I must admit you are the first one to dispel almost every layer. Even the sharingan isn’t perfect and if you know how it works you can find a way to block it.”

Then there was silence in which both shinobi actually looked at the other one for the first time.

Now that Kakashi had time to actually look at her, he immediately noticed the dark bags beneath her eyes and the tired slouch in her posture. And that she was too thin for a kunoichi of her calibre, he’d even go so far to call it unhealthy, borderline malnourished. However, at a second look he found that she hadn’t changed much from the photo in her file other that her ebony hair had grown to the middle of her back and her face was framed with centre parted bangs that extended to her chin. And she barely reached his shoulders.

Chiasa too, used the time to check out the Jounin who’d accompany them back to Konoha. His unruly silver hair hung to the left-side and his dark grey eye watched her with the same alertness as she did. He wore the standard Jounin uniform of Konoha and had pushed his hitai-ate over his sharingan eye. And then there was the mask the man was known for, so she didn’t really see much of his face.

Fumiko’s loud screech broke both shinobi out of their trance, causing them to look awkwardly at each other. Suddenly Kakashi remembered and hastily took something out from his flak jacket.

“This is yours; I presume,” he said and held up a worn hitai-ate on black cloth.

For a moment, Chiasa just stared at it breathlessly, before taking it into her trembling hands.

She gently stroke over the metal, muttering: “He kept it.”

Throwing another look at the silver-haired shinobi, she tied it around her forehead, the small weight on her forehead a reassuring feeling.

“Come on. We’re not going to leave for Konoha until tomorrow morning. You can stay with us, we were just having dinner, but I think there’s enough for you as well,” Chiasa said thoughtfully.

Although, the Hatake was sent by the Hokage and she had agreed to come back to Konoha, she didn’t trust the man completely. Even so, she figured it would be better to have an eye on him than having him walk around the island unsupervised. With a hand wave she motioned him to follow her inside.

Kakashi followed her silently, his eye never leaving her figure. Something about her just captivated him, but he wasn’t sure what it was. He’d figure it out eventually. The Hatake was hyperaware of the watchful eyes of the bird on Chiasa’s shoulder, and he was fairly sure that that was not a normal behaviour for a bird.

“You can come out now, Sasuke. We have a guest,” shouted Chiasa as they entered, what Kakashi deemed, their dining room.

With a sharp wave of her hand, the Uchiha told him to sit down on the chair, whilst she quickly stepped into another room, the bird having left her shoulder and instead landed on the couch opposite to Kakashi.

A few seconds later Chiasa came back with another plate, handing it to him.

“It’s not much, but that’s all we have,” she admitted begrudgingly, her eyes daring him to say something.

However, Kakashi didn’t even think about anything derogatory, grateful that he wouldn’t have to sleep outside again or have ration bars for dinner.

“Thank you, Chiasa. That is more than enough,” he told her honestly, but hesitated to eat.

There was no way he’d pull down his mask in front of her, no matter how pretty she was, even if that meant he’d go hungry for the night.

Meanwhile, a raven-haired boy had entered the room with another plate in his hand.

 _‘Uchiha Sasuke,’_ thought Kakashi and looked over the boy swiftly, well aware of the bloodred eyes that scrutinized each and every movement of his.

The boy looked healthy, a stark contrast to his borderline malnourished sister. It was just another proof that the woman cared more about her brother than about herself. He was curious what they had lived through for the boy to look at him with such disdain in his black eyes, but then again, he had fought the boy’s sister, so he couldn’t really blame him.

“Who is he?” asked Sasuke harshly, his gaze wandering from the stranger to his sister, who had sat down on the couch, with her arms crossed and sharingan still activated.

“I’m Hatake Kakashi, a shinobi of Konoha. Nice to meet you, Sasuke,” replied Kakashi for himself and greeted the scowling boy with his typical lopsided eye smile.

“Konoha?” repeated Sasuke warily, and Kakashi hadn’t thought the boys scowl could get any worse. “Nee-san?”

Chiasa sighed quietly and walked over to crouch down before her little brother.

“Hokage-sama wants us back in the village and Hatake is here to accompany us,” she told him calmly. “But if you don’t want to return, we can just ditch him and run. It’s your choice little brother, I’ll follow you wherever you want to go.”

Kakashi didn’t even try to appear as if he hadn’t listened attentively to the conversation between the siblings, as the boy’s eyes wandered from his sister to him and back to the woman. Before, he had been certain that Chiasa planned on returning to the village with him, but now he realized that, although, that was the original plan, she’d take her brother and run, if Sasuke so wished.

Thoughtfully, Sasuke regarded the silver-haired shinobi in their house with a wary glare. It was clear that the man was a threat since his sister hadn’t deactivated her sharingan yet, and even though she told him they could run, he was doubting that they’d be able to escape without a fight. A fight that would tire Chiasa out and make her even more worried. He didn’t really want to return to Konoha, his image of the village was overshadowed by the memories of that night, but … in the village, Chiasa wouldn’t have to worry about his safety so much. She could rest. And that was really all that mattered to him. Sasuke would do anything for his family, even returning to the place of his nightmares and he knew Chiasa would be by his side no matter what.

His grip around the plate tightened subconsciously, as he asked lowly: “When are we going back?”

Chiasa was so proud of Sasuke, aware that Konoha was the cause of his many nightmares, and inwardly she swore, that she’d show him that Konoha could be beautiful too. She remembered breath-taking sunrises and fun spars with the few people she had considered friends. If Sasuke didn’t like the village or if his nightmares got worse, she would simply leave with him again. It wouldn’t be quite as simple as the first time around, but she’d manage.

“Tomorrow morning. From what Hokage-sama wrote, you can take the graduation exam right when we return, so you don’t even have to go to the Academy for another year and can graduate with children your age. That is, if you still want to be a shinobi, Sasuke. If not, I’ll tell Hokage-sama so.”

For a moment, the boy looked scandalized at the concept of not being a shinobi, exclaiming: “Of course, I’ll be a shinobi, Nee-san. You need all the help you can get to fulfil your dream and I’m going to be right next to you when you do.”

The kunoichi got up to wrap her arms around the boy, pulling him into a close embrace and Kakashi had the decency to look away to give the siblings some sort of privacy. Sasuke immediately wrapped his free arm around his sister, the other still holding his dinner plate.

“Thank you,” whispered Chiasa in his ear. “It would be best if you go to bed now, it is a long way back to Konoha and we’re going to get up early tomorrow. Take Fumiko with you and lock your door, okay? It’s just a precaution, but better safe than sorry, right?”

With a kiss to the forehead, she let go of him, ushering him away.

“Of course, Nee-san,” replied Sasuke, glaring a last time at the silver-haired shinobi before walking towards his room, Fumiko having left her previous position and landing on his shoulder.

“So, he’s cheery,” Kakashi said to break the awkward silence, but the comment only brought him an exasperated glare from the ebony-haired kunoichi.

“He doesn’t know you,” she explained eventually.

Looking back at their guest, Chiasa noticed that the man hadn’t eaten yet. There was a moment of hesitation, but in the end her mother’s teachings won, and she sat down against the wall that bordered to the rest of the house, closing her eyes.

“You have two minutes to eat, then I’m going to open my eyes again,” she growled, etching Kakashi to hurry up.

He had finished the plate in a minute, which gave him another minute to observe the Uchiha without being exposed to her wary eyes. It had been a kind gesture, one that he hadn’t expected from her, not after catching a glimpse of her protectiveness of her brother.

“When you’re done with checking me out”, she suddenly said evenly, her voice not betraying whatever she might feel, “you can sleep on the couch, Hatake.”

Chiasa opened her eyes again to notice that the man had eaten, and his mask was back firmly in place.

“Thank you,” Kakashi said moving to said couch. “You know you can call me Kakashi, Hatake makes me sound so old.”

It was the first time, that he had seen something akin to a smirk graze the kunoichi’s face and it make his stomach feel weird. There was a small desire to see her laugh for real, something that Kakashi had thought he had long lost. It was strange.

“I think I like Hatake more.”

And that was the end of their conversation, until Kakashi asked half an hour later curiously: “Are you going to sit there the entire night with your sharingan activated?”

The sharingan drained his chakra reserves immensely, even if he had it uncovered for only a few minutes. He was aware that the sharingan didn’t drain nearly as much chakra from a full-blooded Uchiha, but it had to be tiring even for them.

Chiasa continued to sit in silence, sharingan never leaving the Hatake. There was no way in hell, she’d sleep whilst an unknown shinobi was in the same house as her brother, even if they were from the same village. She didn’t know him personally, only from the stories Itachi had sometimes told her and the things in the bingo book.

Hatake Kakashi could be a threat or an ally, and until she knew, she wouldn’t let him out of her eyes. And a minuscules little part of her liked the way, he looked illuminated by the sparse moonlight that filled the room.

“…Yes…”


	3. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone,  
> So, I know I said I'd update on specific days but then I realised that it feels stupid sitting on finished chapters without publishing them and that it sort of takes out the fun of writing. 
> 
> Instead, I'll simply update everything I have by now in the next couple of days and after that updates will be depending on much time I have.
> 
> Also, this story is a fanfiction and obviously not entirely like canon. So if things don't add up then that's because I've changed it. 
> 
> I'd really appreciate it if you could leave a kudos or comment and give me constructive critiscm. English is not my first language so if there are some mistakes, please, bare with it.  
> Bleeding Heart is not my first story so if you're curious you should check out Atonement. Both, Bleeding Heart and Atonement are also on Wattpad under my username Stella-Luna. Atonement is already completed and even has a sequel on wattpad, so if you want to read the entire story without having to wait for updates that would be your best chance.
> 
> Anyway, I won't hold you up any longer, so enjoy the next chapter. 
> 
> Love, Stella xx

True to her word, Chiasa didn't sleep that night, nor did she deactivate her sharingan for even the fraction of a second - despite knowing the consequences. It wasn't just the fact that another shinobi was in the same house as her little brother, but she was also kept awake by her own worries.

She wasn't sure how she'd handle being back in Konoha after being gone for so long.

The village wouldn't be _her_ village anymore, not without Itachi, not without her Kaa-san and Tou-san, not without her clan.

She didn't know, if she could handle seeing ghosts on every corner, only to realize that they were all truly gone. That they were not more than a figment of her memory. But she had to stay strong for Sasuke, she couldn't break before fixing their family. The promise she had given Itachi on that fateful night and the knowledge that Sasuke needed her, were the only things keeping her alive. They kept her strong and had always been her pillar when everything came crashing down. And that was the reason she wouldn't allow herself to break, to shatter into pieces. As long as she had those pillars, she'd fight to her last breath.

The lack of sleep had also allowed her to survey their guest closer, at least for a little while. The man had slept restless for a handful of hours before waking with a silent scream and Chiasa realized that they were quite similar.

Hatake Kakashi was like her: unable to forget, unable to forgive himself, unable to breathe freely.

However, he wore guilt and regret like a second skin, greeting it like an old friend with open arms. Whereas she went through her days trying not to think about her loss lest her grief incapacitate her, but that just meant that every time it came up it hurt like new.

Chiasa didn't comment when Kakashi spent the rest of the night wide awake, sometimes glancing at her, but other than that keeping quiet.

When the firsts rays of dawn broke through the night sky, painting Uzushio into a magical light, Chiasa stood up, stretching herself.

Red eyes glanced at Kakashi as she said: "We'll be ready to go in an hour, Hatake. I hope you don't mind having some ration bars as breakfast. Food is scarce in Uzushio and I couldn't go hunting last night."

"It's not a problem, Chiasa. Do you need any help?” Kakashi asked politely, but Chiasa just shook her head.

"Just stay where you are,” she muttered before leaving to wake up her brother and pack their stuff together.

It didn't take long for Chiasa to seal the few things they had, into the storage seal on her wrist, after waking Sasuke, and when she returned, she found her little brother glaring at their guest whilst munching on a tomato.

She shook her head at the childish display, but at least they hadn't tried to kill each other, or to be more precise, Sasuke hadn't tried anything. The Hatake would have lost his head before he even came close to her precious brother. A glance at her guests reading material, almost caused her to giggle - no wonder her brother disliked him so openly.

Little Sasuke hated perverts with a fierce passion and would glare at anyone daring to look at her with even an ounce of interest. She figured he might not remember, but he had actually started this after witnessing Itachi trying to set somebody on fire, when they had leered at her, back when she had been only a young Chunin, and back when their family had been whole.

Smirking, she threw her old ANBU travel coat over Sasuke, effectively cutting off his glaring.

"Nee-san!” he growled after freeing himself.

"Behave yourself,” she chastised him gently, glancing at the silver-haired shinobi, who made no sign of putting his unusual reading material away.

"We are ready to leave, Hatake."

A satisfied hum was all she received as reply and then the Jounin had the audacity to simply walk pass them. A scowl marred Chiasa’s face, but she hurriedly hid it when she heard her little brother growl.

"I don't like him," the young Uchiha declared, his mind made up.

"Don't be so quick to judge him Sasu. He's one of the Leaf’s strongest, and he was also Tachi's senpai," Chiasa told him thoughtfully, stroking his hair affectionately.

Suddenly, Sasuke stiffened and his eyes darkened. He had wanted to kill that man for years now, but his Nee-san stubbornly believed that there was more than what they knew and, though he would never admit it, there was a small part in him that desperately hoped she was right. That the brother who had given him piggyback rides and protected him from their father’s expectations was not just a lie. However, if it were, he wouldn't hesitate to strike him down in order to protect his Nee-san. Chiasa was all he had left, the only thing keeping him sane.

"So, he is a lead," he grumbled, but neither said any more, knowing that the topic was painful for both.

Together, they walked out of the little house that had been their home for the last year, Chiasa never taking her hand from Sasuke’s shoulder. It was a habit that had started during the years they had been on the run, for it was easier to escape if Sasuke was already close.

Fumiko, the little grey falcon, took into the air, orbiting above the group of three. She felt her partner’s tension and wariness and did her best to do her part and lift her partners burden a little bit. The silver-haired human that was travelling with her partner and the hatchling showed no sign of being an immediate threat, but Fumiko hated how his chakra changed whenever he was near Chiasa. Furthermore, she hated that he was bringing them back to that awful place. She'd keep her eyes on him.

A cold shiver ran down Kakashi’s spine and he secretly looked around for a reason. Even though he didn't find anything, the feeling persisted.

The group travelled in utter silence, with Fumiko above them and Kakashi reading his book - though sometimes, he dared to glance with hidden curiosity at the two Uchiha, only to meet bloodred eyes that stared at him expressionlessly. Sasuke travelled right next to his sister, unbothered by her hand on his shoulder.

They travelled towards the sea with no difficulties, only taking breaks every few hours. To Kakashi’s surprise, Sasuke was able to use chakra to strengthen his muscles so they were able to run faster and longer than with a civilian. Though, on a second thought, he felt stupid for being surprised. Chiasa would have made sure her little brother wasn't defenceless.

On the shore of Whirlpool country, they stopped for the night.

Kakashi didn't even try to hide his surprise, when Chiasa pulled out a tent from seemingly nowhere. It seemed the Uchiha had used the time in Uzushio to learn fuinjutsu to at least some level, if the inked twirls on her wrist were any indication, and it made her only that much more intriguing. Wordlessly, Kakashi left the siblings in search of some firewood, confident that they would stay.

Chiasa watched the Jounin disappear into the dunes and cliffs of Whirlpool country, a sigh leaving her lips. It had been nerve-wracking to travel with the Hatake, always having to be alert. The man hadn't talked much only sharing some pleasantries and he appeared friendly, but Chiasa wouldn't take any chances, she simply couldn’t.

Her sharingan strained her chakra reserves and she could already feel the slight ache that the continues use caused. It was by far not the first time, that she had it activated for days on end, but each time had ended with a terribly headache and her being out for a day. The longest she had had it activated had been for an entire week when they had fled from Kumo shinobi - one of them having been a female jinchuuriki - and that had knocked her out for days.

Chiasa sometimes still felt the poisonous chakra ripping into her flesh, as she took a hit meant for Sasuke from the jinchuuriki, and instead claws buried themselves deep into her chest, far too close to her heart for comfort. How they had both escaped, she wasn't sure. Only that she had created genjutsu after genjutsu, illusion after illusion, until not even a tailed beast knew what was up and what was down. Later, when she had regained consciousness - she couldn't even remember passing out - she found herself in a cave, her wound sloppily patched up and her brother's shaken figure next to her. They-

"Nee-san? Are you okay?"

The corner of her lips arched slightly and Chiasa softly smiled at her brother, telling him: "I was just lost in some memories, no need to worry Sasu. How are you? Is the travel okay or do you want to slow down? Do you-"

"Everything's okay," interrupted Sasuke her scowling. His sister still treated him like a child that needed to be cuddled even though he was a shinobi too! "Stop worrying so much about me."

Sasuke's pout - because he could never glare at his sister, no matter how much her over-protectiveness annoyed him - was enough for Chiasa to let out a quiet but genuine laugh. It was like a warming fire in the cold winter. It was home.

When Kakashi came back and his shadow clone, henged as a small bug, dispersed, his eye widened in shock and a warmth spread out in his chest.

 _'Precious,'_ he thought breathlessly, trying to recall the sound that had made him feel like on fire.

Thankfully, Chiasa wrote his sudden stiffness and flushed face up to his little orange book. Kakashi didn't correct her.

They grilled the fish they had caught and after a quiet goodnight, Sasuke disappeared into the tent. Chiasa, meanwhile, settled herself into a comfortable position, eyes staring into the small campfire, but Kakashi had no doubt that she was perfectly aware of everything around her.

"If you take first watch, I'll take the second one," he told her, his lone eye watching her with intensity buried under his usual aloofness. "Just wake me when you get tired and we can switch."

He hoped that sleep would come easily tonight, not willing to let the kunoichi see him vulnerable again.

"Hn."

A question lay heavy on her tongue, but she couldn't ask. Chiasa wanted to ask about her oba-san's son, a precious young boy, like her Sasuke, but she couldn't. She remembered her father's warnings and her mother's grief at being forced to stay away from the legacy of her best friend and the woman Chiasa had come to love as oba-san, well. She remembered her own pain at having to stay away from what she considered family. And all because the Hokage had made it law. Chiasa had taken the easy way out, leaving the village as often as possible, trying not to think about a lonely boy. She wanted to ask, to know, to learn, but she couldn't. The village was wary of the Uchiha and a simple inquiry about the village’s jinchuuriki could mean death for her little brother and they would have to run again. So, she bit her tongue and turned away, away from intelligent dark eyes that wondered what had caused that grief-stricken expression on that calm and composed face.

Sleep came easier than usual to Kakashi and soon Chiasa listened to his calm breaths. Her eyes wandered from the dim fire to the sleeping person across her, wondering about Konoha and what she would have to face when arriving there.

* * *

Kakashi awoke at the break of dawn, for once feeling rested. Getting up to stretch, he noticed the petite figure of the ebony-haired kunoichi, whose deep red eyes shamelessly stared at him.

"Good morning, Hatake," she said after the silence became too unbearable.

 _'She looks exhausted,'_ was Kakashi’s first thought as he laid eyes on the kunoichi.

"You didn't wake me," he said instead, drily.

"My mistake, I didn't feel tired and lost track of time."

That was a lie if Kakashi had ever heard one, but the expression in those blood-red eyes - cold and fierce - dared him to call her out on it. He was torn between anger at her disregard of her own condition, which could endanger them, or appreciation that she had let him rest. The choice was taken from him when Sasuke walked out of his tent, rubbing the last sleep out of his eyes.

"Nee-san? Is it time for breakfast?" the young Uchiha yawned and looked at his sister still sleepily. It was such an adorable sight that Kakashi had difficulties to match the angry boy from yesterday to the one in front of him.

Suddenly, the coldness in Chiasa’s eyes left and she went to hug her little brother.

"Good morning, Sasu. Have you slept well?"

Humming, Sasuke shuffled closer into the embrace. At the same time, Fumiko descended on Chiasa’s shoulder and Kakashi felt a strange ache as he eyed them.

They had lost everything in one night, but somehow, they had managed to survive. They were a family forged by blood, tears, and ashes. It was rare that Kakashi let stupid things such as emotions affect him, but right now, he sent a silent prayer to whatever god that was out there, that the darkness wouldn't try to swallow them again. He had just decided to give them some privacy when Chiasa broke their embrace and flung a ration bar at him.

"I think we should eat when we are on a ship to the Land of Fire, for now that will be enough. I'd like to get to Konoha as soon as possible."

Kakashi agreed with her and soon they were on their way to one of the small fisher villages that would hopefully be able to bring them over the ocean.

"I know someone who can bring us into the Land of Fire," said Chiasa suddenly, breaking the silence.

That was a relief, since Kakashi had wondered how they'd cross the ocean. He didn't like taking the two Uchiha to the rather dubious fishing crew that had brought him here, but it seemed that wouldn't be the case anymore. Humming, he turned a page in his Icha-Icha, content with giving the lead to Chiasa. Said kunoichi only scoffed quietly at the aloof behaviour of the Hatake but led their group through the small village anyway.

Mid-walk, she secretly went through some hand seals before waving and calling cheerfully: "Good morning, Kaya-san!"

Startled, Kakashi looked up from his book only to catch sight of ordinary brown eyes that had been blood red with black tomoes previously.

 _'She...deactivated them?'_ he wondered perplexed. It made no sense at all! Narrowing his eye, he suddenly felt a slight chakra pulse from Chiasa’s eyes. _'G-genjutsu? Did she cast an illusion over her eyes? How's that even possible? I didn't notice anything.'_

Kakashi continued to ponder about his discovery as the group reached the person, Chiasa had called out to, an old woman with violet eyes and sun-bleached hair.

"Oh my, Chi-chan! It has been so long and is that Ryuu-kun?" the old woman narrowed her eyes and a large smile washed over her face as she got up heavily from the bench she had sat.

"Yes, that's Ryuu. I'm sorry, I haven't been back earlier, but you know how it is." Chiasa explained and hurried to the woman’s side to help her.

"My, he's grown so much since the last time I saw him," gushed the elder. "He's going to be such a heart breaker."

"Hello, Kaya-san," greeted Sasuke the old woman politely and smiled at her slightly, a light blush on his cheeks. He remembered faintly, having seen the woman when they had first arrived in Whirlpool country a year ago, and Chiasa had raised him to be polite and kind, especially to the people his sister liked.

"And who's that?" Kaya suddenly turned, pointing her walking cane threateningly at Kakashi. "Is he bothering you, Chi-chan? You know, Yori-kun would be happy to help you get rid of him. Do you want me to call him?"

Something about the woman and the sadistic gleam in her violet eyes caused cold shivers to run down Kakashi’s spine and the hair on his neck to rise.

The corner of Chiasa’s lips lifted slightly, making her appear much younger than she was, and a sweet sound escaped her.

"He's here to bring us back, Kaya-san," explained Chiasa softly. "But I need to talk to Yori-san nevertheless. We need someone to bring us over the ocean, is he here?"

Kaya turned around, setting her old eyes on the young woman at her side.

Her voice was gentle, like that of a worried mother as she asked: "Do you genuinely want to return to that village? You know, Ryuu-kun and you are always welcome here."

Kakashi wondered how the old woman had become so close to the cold kunoichi, for the torn and scared expression in Chiasa’s eyes was honest and she didn't bother to put on a mask in front of that woman.

"Nee-san?"

Sasuke pulled on Chiasa’s hand and all of the sudden that torn expression was gone, replaced by one of deep love.

"It's time for us to go home," she told Kaya with a small smile, even though her voice cracked slightly. "We've been gone for a long time."

Sighing, the old woman nodded to herself before saying: "I understand. Let me call Yori. Am I correct in thinking that you won't stay here for a day?"

Apologetically, Chiasa nodded.

"I'm sorry."

Waving dismissively, Kaya pointed towards the haven of the little village, leaning on her cane.

"Yori should be there, I'll accompany you."

"Thank you," mumbled Chiasa, squeezing the woman's shoulder.

Together the small group moved towards the port, when out of the blue, the old woman grabbed Kakashi’s arm with surprising strength. Warily the Jounin stopped, eye narrow and set on the fierce face of Kaya.

"Kaya-san?" he wondered.

"Don't let them die, Hatake Kakashi," she hissed lowly, eyes gleaming dangerously, before letting go and slowly walking after the two Uchiha.

Kakashi stared after the old woman alerted, his instincts going haywire. Neither he nor Chiasa had ever told the woman his name. He didn't like not knowing.

Silently, he joined the group again, gaze once again settled on his book, only sometimes wandering to the smiling Uchiha siblings.

Soon, they had reached the small port where a few fishing boats docked.

"Yori!" Kaya shouted at an old, white-haired fisher man.

The man - Yori - looked up and Kakashi noticed the many wrinkles around his eyes caused by laughter.

"Kaya, and is that Chi-chan and Ryuu-kun? My, you two have grown. Oh, is that your boyfriend, Chi-chan? He looks like a shinobi," exclaimed the old man, climbing down from his boat to hug the Uchiha.

Chiasa smiled a little as she hugged him back and replied: "It's good to see you again, Yori-san. And no, he's just an acquaintance. We need to get to the Land of Fire; can you help us?"

The old fisherman gawked suspiciously at Kakashi, but then turned to the young woman, nodding enthusiastically.

"Of course, dear. Old Yori will take you there no problem. If you want, we can go right now, my ship is ready, and you'll be on the other side by evening."

"That would be lovely," replied Chiasa and turned to the elder woman, carefully wrapping her arms around her fragile body - which Kakashi knew, wasn't as weak as she portrayed it. Kaya laughed joyfully and patted her back.

"It's okay, Chi-chan. Just, when you have time, come back and visit this old woman. And bring Ryuu-kun with you."

"I won't forget what you did for us."

With a nod from his sister, Sasuke quickly hugged the old woman too and got onto the boat. Kakashi followed him quickly, only lifting his hand in a wordless goodbye as Chiasa moved next to them. Yori didn't waste any more time and began to steer the small boat out of the haven.

Even though, Sasuke had moved to the front of the ship, Chiasa made no sign to move and continued to stare at the small village and Kaya, as they grew further and further away. Suddenly, a ray of sunshine hit the old woman leaning on her cane, and for a moment Kakashi could have sworn that her sun-bleached hair shone in a rare deep red colour. Disbelieving, he turned wide-eyed to the Uchiha, his mask hiding most of his surprise.

"Is she-"

"It's a heavy burden to be the last of one’s clan, don't you think so Hatake? " Chiasa interrupted him sharply with a creepily sweet smile on her face.

Despite what some might say, Kakashi was not an idiot and knew when he was walking on a thin ice, most of the time he just didn't care. This time, however, he bit his tongue. It was the least he owed Kushina-san.

"Where's your bird?" he asked, attempting to keep the conversation alive.

Usually, he wouldn't care, glad to return to his reading but now that the gorgeous Uchiha had talked to him, he didn't want her to shut him out again. No matter how strange it was.

Chiasa arched one elegant eyebrow, asking: "Fumiko?"

At Kakashi's nod, she gave him that typical Uchiha smirk pointing with one finger at the sky. Following it, he noticed the small grey bird orbiting over the ship. Looking back at the kunoichi his breath got caught in his throat as long black strands of hair played in the soft sea breeze and the morning sun illuminated her in a captivating sight.

_'Gorgeous.'_

Not for the first time, Kakashi was thankful for his mask that hid his mesmerized expression. Then the moment was broken and any emotion that might have been on her face were replaced by a cool mask as she walked towards her brother.

Kakashi decided to stay where he was, using the silence to continue reading, and if he only stared at the pages, mind somewhere else, nobody had to know.

* * *

They reached the Land of Fire in the early evening and after a quick discussion, the three decided to stay in the small port village for the night. That was obviously after they had bid Yori goodbye with promises to visit him and Kaya at the next chance.

Even though, Chiasa was hesitant at first, Kakashi and Sasuke were able to persuade her to spend the night in a hotel. The rest of the evening was pretty much a repeat of the night before with only a few scarce conversations, Sasuke going to bed after dinner and Chiasa placing herself in front of her brother's bed, determined to keep watch over him.

Nevertheless, Kakashi didn't immediately lay down on the other bed in the room, but instead sat across the Uchiha, wanting to ask her something that had bothered him ever since they had met Kaya.

"Why did Kaya-san call Sasuke Ryuu-kun? I can understand where Chi-chan comes from but Ryuu?"

Chiasa thoughtfully eyed the silver-haired Jounin, deciding whether to tell the truth or an excuse.

Finally, she let out a breath, muttering quietly as to not wake up her brother: "Sasuke's name might not be well known, but I couldn't risk it if by any chance an enemy of the Uchiha clan knew it. It was simply another protection measure to keep our identities hidden."

She didn't tell him the truth.

After another silence, Chiasa added firmly: "Go to sleep, Hatake."

"Wake me so we can switch."

Kakashi stared intensely into her eyes, the mud brown colour irritating him to no end.

 _'They should be onyx or blood red,'_ he found himself growling, though he didn't know why.

When it was clear that Chiasa didn't plan on answering him any time soon, he moved to the other bed, laying down. Against his will, his eyes soon dropped close and he fell into a peaceful sleep.

The moment Kakashi was deeply unconscious, Chiasa let the genjutsu over her eyes fall, letting out a deep sigh. Rubbing her aching eyes, she gritted her teeth as a sharp pain crossed her mind and continued to check her chakra reserves. The genjutsu and the continued use of her sharingan didn't take much - almost nothing - from her reserves, but it had become another habit of hers to check them in a moment of rest. Letting her head drop against the bed frame she stared silently at the ceiling and despite her attempts, loneliness overwhelmed her, and her gaze wandered out of the small window to the night sky adored with stars.

She was scared, there was no denying that, but she wouldn't let it control her. That was not the Uchiha way.

It was hours later when Kakashi woke up, this time not drenched in sweat and gasping for air. Rolling over, his tired eye surveyed the small Inn-room, meeting once again exhausted blood- red eyes.

"You didn't wake me again," he said slightly confused.

He wondered if the kunoichi really didn't trust him or if she perhaps had noticed that he was sleep deprived. Both were not favorable options.

Chiasas lips twitched in the way of a tired smile as she replied: "You looked like you needed it."

As soon as she realized that the silver-haired Jounin eyed her with an indiscernible expression, her smile dropped, and she pulled up her blank mask again.

Not long after Kakashi, Sasuke woke up and the small group continued their trip after a large breakfast in the Inn.

They kept to that routine of minimal conversation and Chiasa sacrificing sleep in favor of keeping watch, for another two days until the Hatake had had enough. Admittedly, it was the best rest he had gotten in years, but somewhere in between their scarce conversations he had come to care about the Uchiha - only because the Hokage wouldn't be happy to see Chiasa in this condition. So, at the fifth and hopefully last day of their trip, before daybreak, he turned towards Chiasa, eye stern and stubborn.

"Chiasa," he started with no trace of his usual aloofness.

He had Chiasa's attention almost immediately and he stopped himself from cringing at the close-to-death-look on her face. Purple eyebags simply didn't suit her.

"You haven't slept for approximately 94 hours and no, meditation and chakra pills are not a sufficient replacement. I know better than most that ANBU members, in rare occasions, must go to those extremes, but right now you don't have to. I can understand that you are reluctant to trust me and that you have something precious to protect, but how will you carry on? I'm not doubting your strength, but I noticed that your headaches have gotten worse over the days and that you haven't deactivated your sharingan even once. I swear, I won't take my eyes of Sasuke and will even use my sharingan if it would reassure you but please, you need to sleep. Konoha is only one day away and you'll need all your strength when seeing the Council and Hokage-sama. Please rest."

Chiasa stared at the silver-haired Jounin, his deep gaze holding her captivated. Her heart rate increased minimal and she subconsciously rubbed her sweaty palms on her trousers. How long had it been since someone had cared about her wellbeing other than Sasuke?

Some time had passed by in which silence had ruled, and Kakashi had already partly given up persuading the proud Uchiha, when Chiasa suddenly said: "...Three hours. Wake me in three hours sharp, Hatake."

With a last wary glance, she lay down between him and her brother, acting even in her sleep as his protective shield.

When bloodred eyes fell close, Kakashi allowed himself to smile relieved. He was well aware that this was a test and he was fully prepared to prove that he was trustworthy, even though he couldn't rationalize his desire. As soon as the thought had crossed his mind, his smile fell, and he shook his head hastily. Usually he wouldn't care what another shinobi thought of him but somehow this was different and ... that was dangerous.

Angrily, he pushed any lingering thoughts about the kunoichi away and pulled his hitai-ate up, his sharingan surveying their surroundings until settling on the small falcon that had snuggled herself into Chiasa’s arms.

_'Adorable.'_

_'_ _Bad,'_ chastised Kakashi himself immediately, when he noticed what he had thought and forced his gaze away.

He didn't want to think about how the sight was already memorised by his sharingan, forever burned into his mind.

* * *

Halfway through the three-hour mark, they got company.

Kakashi had pulled out his Icha-Icha again and was calmly turning a page, when four middle aged men broke through the trees, knives pointed at him and his sleeping companions. With a great show of what exactly he thought about them, Kakashi slightly glanced over his book, arching an eyebrow, and acting as if supressing a yawn.

"Gentlemen," he greeted them rather cheerfully which seemed to confuse them slightly. "I'd appreciate it if you could attack quietly. I've got a woman here that desperately needs her sleep."

"WHA-" the leader of the bandits had just opened his mouth when Kakashi was already by his side, kunai on his throat.

"I thought I asked you to be quiet?" Kakashi wondered with false confusion.

Sweat lined the bandit leader's face as he tried to move away from the sharp blade, only to freeze when the Jounin smiled at him.

"Will you leave quietly?" the Hatake asked, fearing that they might wake up the sleeping Uchiha.

Hastily, they all nodded, and with a frightening smile he let the bandit go, watching satisfied as the men ran for their lives. Then he returned to his place across Chiasa and Sasuke, continuing to read Icha-Icha as if nothing had happened.

Meanwhile, Chiasa had listened to everything, half-awake, but decided not to say anything. She was quite certain that Hatake hadn't noticed and she'd like to keep it that way. It wasn't his fault that she'd automatically wake as soon as an unknown presence was close to her little brother.

 _'He really is alright from what I've seen,'_ she thought before sleep caught her once more.

* * *

"That is very impressive, Sasuke. Not many Academy students would be able to hit so many targets in one go."

"Thank you, but Nee-san can do far more and ...Itachi too. It was him who invented that technique but now Nee-san is teaching it to me. I'm sure I'll get it up to ten targets in no time."

Chiasa woke up to the excited voice of her brother, who was talking happily with the silver-haired Jounin for a change. Stretching herself, she stood up, noticing that someone must have put a blanket over her when she was asleep.

"Good morning, Nee-san."

Sasuke was suddenly in front of her, hugging her stormily.

"I showed Kakashi our kunai exercise and he said not many of my classmates could do that. I even hit 8 targets in one go this time!"

Grinning, Chiasa patted his head and listened attentively to his rant. It had been so long since Sasuke had been that excited and she wished, she could wake up every day to his laughter.

Glancing to the side, she saw Kakashi pick up some discarded kunai and staring at the siblings. As their eyes met, she gave him a small, genuine smile that startled him before he reciprocated it. At least she guessed he did since she couldn't see very well through his mask.

This time, they didn't travel in silence, but instead talked about jutsu and mostly Konoha, well, Sasuke practically interrogated the Hatake, his previous dislike forgotten, and Kakashi didn't mind telling the boy about the village. It was only a bonus that every time, Sasuke's face lit up in excitement, Chiasa glanced at him secretly. And most importantly, it seemed he had gained some of her trust for she hadn't activated her sharingan yet and Kakashi finally had the chance to study these mesmerizing onyx eyes. He didn't mention it to her in fear that she'd reactivate them. It seemed like she hadn't minded the extra two hours of sleep she had gained, despite her explicit wish to be woken up after exactly three hours.

It was quite late in the evening, when the small group caught sight of Konoha's large gates and the change in atmosphere was almost immediately.

All of the sudden, the small smile adoring Chiasa's face disappeared, being replaced with a blank mask. Red bled into her vision once more and her hand found Sasuke's shoulder, tucking the now scowling boy closer to herself. Fumiko had taken her place on the kunoichi's shoulder, sharp eyes looking around alert. It didn't escape Kakashi's notice either that the Uchiha's hand drifted slightly closer to her katana than it had been previously.

Pulling out his Icha-Icha, which he had put away in favor for the two Uchiha, he forced his attention onto the words instead of how the loss of a smile made him feel weird. Sighing, he concluded that it was about time to get away from the siblings and get control about his emotion once again. The way they unknowingly pushed against his walls triggered his flight response more than anything if he dared to think about it. Nevertheless, he'd only have to deal with them for a few minutes longer and then the Hokage would take them and he'd have the time to visit the memorial stone.

With every step that brought them closer to the village, Chiasa's agitation rose and she couldn't help herself but to pull the hood of Sasuke's travel coat over his head. It was an automatic response, something she had done every time she had had to take her little brother into a village. Realistically, she knew it didn't matter if he hid his face now, but logic was the last thing on her mind when it came to Sasuke.

"There's still time to turn around," she whispered as her brother took hold of her shirt, like he had done as young child whenever he was afraid.

Shaking his head, Sasuke continued to walk next to his sister and Kakashi with his head held high. He wouldn't run, not when he knew his sister must have missed some of her friends in this village. He'd deal with his fear for Chiasa, because she was his most precious person on earth.

Izumo and Kotetsu had been lazing around the whole day, nothing exciting had happened for days now and both were dying of boredom, until Hatake Kakashi appeared with two people in tow. One seemed to be a young boy, though the travel coat, which oddly resembled those of Konoha's ANBU agents, hid most of his figure. But what really caught their attention was the Konoha hitai-ate on the black-haired woman's forehead. The world changing part, however, were the bloodred eyes with black tomoe, causing Kotetsu to almost choke on his own spit.

_Uchiha!_

Both Chunin exchanged meaningful looks before pulling themselves together and greeting the travellers.

"Yo, Kakashi," Kotetsu waved. "You've returned just in time for this year's graduation. So, who did you bring with you?"

Kakashi only tilted his book slightly as a greeting but made no move to introduce the siblings. He figured, Chiasa would like to do that herself. And just like he had expected it, the kunoichi lifted her chin a tad bit more, making her look every bit the heir of a prestigious clan that she was, in spite of her worn out clothes, replying coldly: "Hokage-sama has invited us and Hatake was nice enough to be our guide back. I don't wish to let him wait any longer so I'd appreciate it if you could let us pass."

Suppressing an amused snort, Kakashi quickly flipped a page. That was not how he had thought Chiasa would handle the situation. But then, honestly, what had he expected?

"Sorry, kunoichi-san. We can't let you in until we know your and your companion's name, and your intentions in Konoha," said Izumo, jumping in for his partner, who still stared at the kunoichi, caught off guard by her viciousness hidden behind polite words.

"Uchiha Chiasa and Uchiha Sasuke, we've come to return home. Are we allowed to pass now?"


	4. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone,  
> So, I know I said I'd update on specific days but then I realised that it feels stupid sitting on finished chapters without publishing them and that it sort of takes out the fun of writing. 
> 
> Instead, I'll simply update everything I have by now in the next couple of days and after that updates will be depending on much time I have.
> 
> Also, this story is a fanfiction and obviously not entirely like canon. So if things don't add up then that's because I've changed it. 
> 
> I'd really appreciate it if you could leave a kudos or comment and give me constructive critiscm. English is not my first language so if there are some mistakes, please, bare with it.  
> Bleeding Heart is not my first story so if you're curious you should check out Atonement. Both, Bleeding Heart and Atonement are also on Wattpad under my username Stella-Luna. Atonement is already completed and even has a sequel on wattpad, so if you want to read the entire story without having to wait for updates that would be your best chance.
> 
> Anyway, I won't hold you up any longer, so enjoy the next chapter. 
> 
> Love, Stella xx

Chiasa smirked self-satisfied as the Chunin gawked at her, stumbling a step back and making the path free for them. Wordlessly, she walked through Konoha’s large gates, pushing Sasuke lightly so he wouldn’t linger. With a click of her tongue, Fumiko ascended into the air, screeching loud and fierce – a warning for everyone – circling her Uchiha one more time before flying away.

Kakashi noticed gleefully how the two Chunin and everyone else nearby, flinched at the unexpected noise.

They walked in alerted silence towards the Hokage Tower, all well aware of the shameless muttering and mumbling of the civilians that caught sight of Chiasa’s sharingan. Not that the shinobi they met were any better.

 _‘Actually, they are probably worse than the civilians. You wouldn’t think they are trained killers,’_ thought Kakashi as he noticed another Jounin chocking on their food in shock.

The massacre of the Uchiha Clan had left its scars on the shinobi population; the betrayal of one of their own a heavy fact to accept.

He wondered how long it would take until one of Chiasa’s old friends or teammates caught them, not that he knew who they were. He hadn’t even really known about the ebony-haired kunoichi until this mission.

The secretary in the Hokage Tower just waved them through, mouth and eyes wide open in disbelieve.

In front of the Hokage office Chiasa stopped, her fingers tightening around her brother’s tensing shoulder, and peering at the large doors with something akin to longing. How many times had she stepped into that room to report to the Hokage? How many times had she jumped out of the window, knowingly annoying her Hokage?

Taking deep breaths to calm her raising heart, Chiasa forced herself to accept and move on. A sudden serene aura enveloped the Uchiha, making her appear like the perfectly calm and confident Clan heiress, someone her parents could be proud of.

“Whatever you want, Sasuke, I’ll make it happen,” she declared assuring and Kakashi only heard the slight hitch in her voice because he was searching for it.

Normally, it was seen as weakness to openly show feelings, to show who you hold dear and precious, to show what could break you. With Chiasa, however, Kakashi felt like this wasn’t the case. Instead he had the feeling that the young woman didn’t care who knew because she’d fight anyone and anything daring to hurt what she loved. For a moment, he wondered if that same protectiveness applied to Itachi too, which on second thought was ridiculous. She wouldn’t consider a mass murderer her family anymore, would she?

“Ma, let’s go,” he insisted, pushing open the office door and stepping inside, not giving the siblings a chance to prolong the inevitable any longer.

The last time Chiasa had seen the Hokage was on the night of the massacre and now she stood once more before her village leader.

“Hokage-sama.” She bowed slightly, just enough that it wouldn’t be considered rude.

Hiruzen eyed her smiling, like a father would look at his long-lost child. Her bangs hid her face, but he had already taken notice of her bloodred eyes, a sudden reminder of his actions causing a flood of guilt to fill him.

“Welcome home, Chiasa and Sasuke-kun.”

The young Uchiha boy hurried to follow his sister’s example, before surveying the Hokage with hidden curiosity. The only time he had seen the Hokage in person had been in the Academy years ago. Sasuke wondered what kind of person the village leader was. He had seen like an old grandpa in the Academy, but that person had also stood by as his family was murdered. Was he really so powerful as everyone said? And could he really believe in the man when he had already been let down once?

Chiasa straightened again, her long hair falling over her shoulder as she replied with cold politeness: “Thank you for allowing us to return. I am sure you have many questions, Hokage-sama, but I would prefer to answer them in the presence of the council since I am certain they too will want to talk to me, if only about the future of the Uchiha clan. So, if you could ask the most pressing questions now and then allow us to reast after the rather strenuous trip, I would greatly appreciate it.”

Hiruzen chuckled lowly, taking a drag from his pipe before putting it aside.

“I see, you haven’t lost your sharp tongue since the last time we met, Chiasa. As per your wish, I’ll keep it short.”

His gaze took in the poor state of their clothing, he could even recognize some parts of Konoha’s ANBU uniform on Sasuke. Despite his eyes being old and tired of this cruel world, he wasn’t blind to Chiasa’s malnourished figure or the exhaustion visible in her eyes.

 _‘That is my fault,_ ’ he thought, forcing his hands firmly from trembling.

“Since you followed Kakashi to Konoha, I assume you want to return to active duty, or would you rather retire? There’s also the fact of you becoming Clan Head which means that you’d be more likely to stay inside the village.”

“Forgive me for interrupting, Hokage-sama,” cut Chiasa in, frowning as if Hiruzen was talking nonsense. “I am a kunoichi through and through, the blood of the Uchiha clan runs through my veins and I am not planning to stop anytime soon. Me being Clan Head will not change much on that, though that is something we will have to discuss with the council in length. For now, I will hold my Jounin rank, though I would like to retire from ANBU, at least until Sasuke is Chunin or Jounin. Although, I believe that is a matter to be discussed at a different time.”

The way her eyes cut into the Hokage - cold, fearless, and relentless – warned Hiruzen that this was not a discussion for now, so he complied. If he was more lenient with the Uchiha because of his past mistakes, nobody had to know. And if it were because Chiasa looked with every moment more and more like her mother, like a ghost coming back to haunt him, could anybody blame him?

“In that case, I think it would be time to talk about young Sasuke-kun’s future as a shinobi. The graduation exam of his year did already take place and team placements will be tomorrow. Am I correct in believing that you have continued his education during your … mission?”

“Yes.” Nodded Chiasa. “Though I am not too familiar with the Academy’s curriculum, I am positive that Sasuke knows enough about the History of Konoha, the cultures of different countries and the five great ninja villages, chakra theory, herbalism, and medical care to a certain extent. According to Hatake, his kunai and shuriken skills are above the average level of graduation, which - personally - I do not doubt. Sasuke has started to learn our clan’s taijutsu style, I did not think it necessary to teach him the Academy one. He also knows the three graduation techniques: the henge no jutsu, the kawarimi no jutsu, and the Bunshin no jutsu, if I remember correctly, as well as a few basic fire jutsu, Is that enough for him to graduate this year?”

Listening to Chiasa pointing out her brother’s skills, it was pretty much what Hiruzen had expected. Perhaps, a bit less, but who was he to tell Chiasa how to raise the boy? If she had wanted to give him some kind of normal childhood that was fine with him. Though, he had no doubt that for Chiasa the last years had been nothing but a constant fight for survival.

“Can you show me the three jutsu, Sasuke?”, he finally spoke to the young Uchiha directly. Until now, Chiasa had stood between them like an invisible shield.

“Of course, Hokage-sama,” said Sasuke and quickly transformed himself into his sister before switching his place with a flowerpot and making a simple clone. As soon as he was done, Sasuke glanced at his sister, searching for that proud smile she always gave him, and he wasn’t disappointed.

Hiruzen clapped his hands before pulling a dark blue hitai-ate out of a drawer.

“That was very well done, my boy, you’ve earned it. Please be at the academy tomorrow at 8, there you’ll meet your future teammates and other children your age. Your sensei’s name is Iruka, so if you ever have any questions, he’ll be happy to help you to the best of his abilities, though I’m sure he’ll talk to you himself.”

“Are you talking about Umino Iruka?” Chiasa asked out of the blue, and three pairs of eyes settled on her with surprise.

“I wasn’t aware, you knew Iruka-sensei,” admitted Hiruzen, racking his brain for anything that he could remember about Chiasa’s old friends.

Kakashi, too, was surprised since Iruka had never mentioned knowing the Uchiha before, but he figured the man would find it hard to talk about losing a friend.

“Ah, no,” she denied the assumption quickly. “I just remembered that Genma used to talk about a boy named Iruka, who he had taken under his wing after the Kyuubi attack. I’ve met Umino-san only once or twice, and that was years ago. If I remember correctly, he was my senior in the Academy, being a year older. But please continue, Hokage-sama.”

“Well, there’s also the topic of finances and living space. Obviously, your parent’s finances have gone to you, Chiasa, after their … untimely death, as have the finances of any Uchiha. Everything with your clan’s name on has been passed down to you as Clan Head. Considering that everyone believes you’ve been on a mission; nothing has been touched. The entire Uchiha compound has also been transferred to your name and you’re free to do with it as you wish. I’ve taking the liberty to send a Genin team over to clean the Clan Head’s house, so you’d be able to stay there. I can also, easily give you an apartment somewhere else in Konoha, if you’d prefer that.”

Chiasa’s fingers twitched at the thought of some Genin cleaning her parent’s house, eyeing everything with untamed curiosity.

 _‘Focus!’_ she chastised herself as she felt herself slipping.

A quick glance at Sasuke, showed her that her little brother didn’t appreciate the sentiment either.

“I thank you for the offer, Hokage-sama, but I must decline. We will not stay in an apartment nor in the clan compound, at least not yet” she stated politely though her voice didn’t allow any space for arguing. Her sharingan burned fiercely, as she continued without hesitation: “For tonight we are going to stay with Hatake.”

Kakashi’s Icha-Icha slipped out of his hands as he realized that the Uchiha planned to stay with him.

Giving her a close-eyed smile, he asked sweetly: “Huh? I’m sorry but I think I misunderstood you, Hime.”

Chiasa eyed the silver-haired Jounin unconcernedly, not even twitching at the new nickname. Her mind had been made up since the moment she allowed him near Sasuke with her sharingan deactivated. There was no way in hell that she would force her brother to sleep in the same house their parents had been murdered! No, thank you! She was glad she’d been able to give him some sort of closure, there was no need to reawaken old traumas. Not after she had spent ages to talk him out of vengeance.

Who else could she trust in a village she hadn’t stepped foot in for five years? Things had inevitable changed and she didn’t know how her old friends would welcome her; official mission or not she had abandoned her ANBU team mid-mission. Hatake Kakashi had travelled with them without trying to hurt Sasuke, though Chiasa wasn’t naïve enough to believe that couldn’t change.

“It is only fair, you repay us for the hospitality we have shown you, Hatake. Afterall, I let you sleep in our home, will you not repay the favour?” A threatening smirk adored her pale face as she eyed the Jounin.

“Ma, you see, Hime …” Kakashi rubbed his neck sheepishly, forcing a smile.

“I think that is a marvellous idea,” interrupted Hiruzen the two Jounin, scratching his white beard thoughtfully. “It would do Chiasa and Sasuke-kun good to have some company and it will likely only be for a night. See it as practice for your Genin team, Kakashi.”

Quietly chuckling, he watched as the Hatake stared at him perplexed and a satisfied smirk grazed the Uchiha’s face before disappearing swiftly when she became aware of his eyes.

Out of the blue, Sasuke pulled on his sister’s hand, whispering lowly: “Can we leave, Nee-san? I’m tired.”

Hiruzen’s heart felt suddenly incredible heavy as he watched the young Uchiha looking up at his sister with a soft and childlike expression in his eyes. Silently, he thanked Chiasa for making sure that the boy had still some life in him after that horrifying night.

“Of course, Sasu,” responded Chiasa softly, stroking his hair, before turning her attention back to the Hokage. “If there is nothing else, we will excuse ourselves now, Hokage-sama.”

“There’s nothing for now, Chiasa. I wish you both a good night and once again, welcome home.”

Politely bowing, the Uchiha left the office, their posture high and mighty. Kakashi hesitated for a moment, eye transfixed on the impressing sight that the siblings were, before Chiasa glanced back over her shoulder, a silent question in her eyes. Without further ado, Kakashi followed the pair, unable to concentrate on his Ich-Icha.

Outside of the Hokage Tower, Kakashi took the lead, leading the siblings towards his small apartment. It was bizarre. Only Guy had been to his apartment before, Kakashi valued his privacy, and now he was essentially bringing two strangers into his house. He wondered what the pack would say when they met them. No doubt, Pakkun would be relieved to see that he wasn’t completely socially inept, and the others would be instantly smitten with Sasuke. They had a dangerous weakness for pups. Still, the more he thought about it, the more he felt caged. He only realized he was nearly sprinting down the street, when his arm was grabbed, and he met Chiasa’s eyes.

“I’ll find something else, if you want,” she told him quietly, one eye always on the barely awake raven-haired boy.

“I … Ye…”

Why was he hesitating? Chiasa gave him a way out and she wouldn’t even blame him! There was no judgement in her eyes, only concern. It was laughable and pathetic, she probably knew better than most of the trauma shinobi received in their career, she’d have her own demons to carry. A memory of onyx eyes smiling warmly at him crossed his mind and he knew he couldn’t.

“No,” he replied unsurely. “It’s … I’m fine.”

The kunoichi eyed him for a moment longer as if trying to read his soul, but seemed to be satisfied with what she found, as she turned around to lift her little brother on her back. Sasuke – already asleep – didn’t so much as twitch and only nuzzled closer to his sister.

“Well, show the way, Hatake.”

“Of course, Hime”, replied Kakashi immediately with obvious enjoyment of the nickname, whilst returning to his Ich-Icha, glad to escape a conversation about feelings.

After a while, they stopped in front of a barely lit apartment complex. Chiasa let her eyes wander over it, nodding to herself pleased. It was pretty much what she had expected of the man, a barely populated district with only a handful of opportunities for assassinations as far as she could see. There were one or two places that could be used but only by an assassin of her skill which were very rare in the Elemental Nations.

Wordlessly, Kakashi led her through the staircase to his apartment door on the second floor. There, he stopped for a second, uncomfortable, before his sweaty hands opened his home for the Uchiha.

“The kitchen is over there, the bedroom is the first door on the left down that corridor, and across it is the bathroom. You and Sasuke can take the bed and I’ll take the couch, there are just a few things I have to -”

For the second time, Chiasa simply grabbed his arm, stopping his rant whilst balancing her brother on her back.

“We’ll take the couch, Kakashi. There’s no need to force yourself any further, I’m more than grateful that you allowed us to stay for the night. I promise, I’ll find somewhere else until tomorrow evening, and if you want, we can be gone by dawn.”

Kakashi stared at her silently, heart racing as if he had been in a spar with Guy, which was ridiculous in this situation, but … Chiasa had said his name for the first time and spoke with so much honesty, that he had the feeling to be understood. Without another word, he stepped away from her, almost running into his bedroom.

“Goodnight.” He remembered to call over his shoulder before his bedroom door fell shut and he fled through the window.

Too close. Chiasa had come too close. Minato-sensei and Kushina had been the last ones to make him feel accepted and welcomed. He just couldn’t.

Meanwhile, Chiasa stood alone in Kakashi’s living room, her hand still outstretched. Sighing, she gently put Sasuke onto the couch, pulling a blanket from the storage seal on her wrist to tuck him in. She could feel Kakashi’s chakra signature move further and further away from his apartment and sat down against the couch, putting her head into her hands. She didn’t know what had caused her to touch him and say those things, though she wasn’t even sure what had triggered him. However, she had too much experience to not see that she had made him panic. True to her word, she and Sasuke would be gone before morning, hopefully it would help. The guilty feeling, she had had ever since proclaiming to stay with the Hatake threatened to drown her. It was no secret that Hatake Kakashi stayed away from social contact ever since his father’s death.

Tiredly, she let the red bleed from her vision. The ebony-haired woman was in desperate need of a break, and the Hatake’s apartment was mostly secure. It would take time until she found a place for Sasuke and herself, and making it safe enough, which would result in many sleepless nights for her again. For now, she would simply close her eyes, letting herself fall into a light sleep.

It would turn out okay. It had to.

* * *

When Kakashi returned to his apartment - hours later – he almost stumbled over the sleeping siblings in his living room. Wide eyed, he stared at the sleeping kunoichi, an expression so soft and innocent on her face, that he had difficulties to match it to the paranoid assassin he knew she was. Then, he was suddenly met with one onyx eye peering at him tiredly, and lips that pulled into a faint smile. All of the sudden, he found himself frozen in place.

“Stay for breakfast,” he found himself saying hoarsely.

Chiasa waited for Kakashi to take the words back that were obviously uttered without thought, but when he didn’t, and moved to his bedroom instead, she whispered just loud enough: “Thank you.” Before letting herself drift into the welcoming darkness again.

* * *

Kakashi hadn’t expected to wake up to the sight of a peeved little pug on top of him.

“We have a problem, Boss,” huffed Pakkun seriously.

In the blink of an eye, Kakashi had thrown back his blanket, hastening into his living room where he knew the Uchiha to be. His mind racing with petrifying scenarios about Chiasa and Sasuke being attacked in his home. Chiasa would blame him, distancing herself again, and that … it made his heart wrench painfully.

However, as he stood in the doorframe, heart racing and hair a wild mess, he only found the rest of his pack laying around the sleeping siblings.

“Pakkun,” growled the Hatake lowly, as to not wake them, one hand going up to cover his sharingan.

He hadn’t even thought of putting any clothes on, suddenly very aware that Chiasa would most likely not appreciate, finding him staring at her in only his boxers.

Meanwhile, the pug had moved to his side, rolling his eyes.

“They’re fine, Boss. We were a bit surprised to find them here, but as you can see, the others are already smitten with the pups. The situation I’m talking about is on the windowsill.”

Tearing his eye away from the Uchiha, Kakashi looked over to his window, only to find six large - very large – birds sitting there. At a second look, he recognized Fumiko as the smallest between them and her sharp eyes glared at him judgmentally. Suddenly, he found himself across the prying gazes of the other five birds that looked like they wanted to eat him for breakfast. His eye wandered to their sharp beaks and cutting claws, and without a second thought, he strolled back into his room, closing the door firmly behind him.

No, he would not deal with six big birds that wanted to tear him apart in his boxers, whilst Chiasa and Sasuke were asleep. He didn’t doubt that Chiasa had something to do with this or could at least get them to leave. She simply knew much more about those beasts than he did.

After getting dressed, Kakashi decided it was time to wake Chiasa to get her to make the birds - that after a quick check were still perched on his windowsill - leave.

“Hime,” Kakashi whispered, kneeling next to the kunoichi.

Onyx eyes snapped open, peering sleepily at him. It took a moment or two for Chiasa to be fully awake, but then she immediately got to her feet, gazing at the sleeping form of her brother.

“There was an alarm in the middle of the night,” she informed him, intelligent eyes searching for an answer in his.

In all honesty, Kakashi was surprised that Chiasa hadn’t stayed up after the village alarm had been set off. It was so unlike the overprotective kunoichi.

“It was only a prank of one of the new genin. Nothing to worry about. But there is a little problem.” Now, that the Uchiha was up, he motioned to his window, where those beasts still eyed him like he was a snack.

Chiasa followed his outstretched hand, eyes widening when she caught sight of the birds. Faster than Kakashi had thought possible, Chiasa had stumbled over to the window, feet getting tangled in her blanket and more than once did she gracelessly crash to the floor. Perplexed, the silver-haired Jounin watched as she clung to the windowsill like a drowning person, her hands trembling when she fought the window handle.

When the window swung open, a warm gust of wind invaded the apartment, and six birds stormed the room, crooning and screeching vigorously.

“Hisa, Takeo, Satoshi, Shizu, Hiroki! By the grace of Amaterasu!” laughed the Uchiha joyfully, holding out her hands for the falcons to land.

One after the other, the elegant birds landed on Chiasa, two on her shoulders, the other two on her hands, and Satoshi - like always – took his place on top of her head. Fumiko had landed on Kakashi’s couch, next to Sasuke, who watched the falcons with awestricken eyes. He remembered them!

“Kami, you’re back! I thought I’d never see you again.” Chiasa whispered, petting her falcons desperately. “Fumiko,” she turned to her partner, eyes suspiciously teary. “Did you call them back?”

As the small falcon screeched happily, Chiasa let out another freeing laugh.

Kakashi watched the spectacle wordlessly, too stunned to move. Sasuke and his pack had been ripped out of sleep when the birds invaded his apartment loudly, his pack leaving growling afterwards, but he couldn’t even care about that when Chiasa’s laughter rang through the room. The sound, so clear and innocent, let his heart beat faster. He only noticed that he had pulled up his hitai-ate when Pakkun kicked him in the shin, a know-it-all look on his face.

Disturbed, Kakashi shook his head, hastily pulling his hitai-ate back and leaving the room. What the fuck was wrong with him to record such an intimate moment? When did his iron self-control drop? Now, it was obvious. He had to stay away as far as possible from Uchiha Chiasa, it was his bad luck that her brother was on his genin team.

After a while, Chiasa and Sasuke joined him in the kitchen, the former followed by the six falcons. Wordlessly, he handed them a cup of tea and motioned to the packet of cereals. However, the kunoichi was too distracted by the falcons to consider eating, the same couldn’t be said by Sasuke. Kakashi used the moment of distraction to secretly check the siblings out, noting that they must have taken the time to get changed.

Sasuke now wore a navy blue, short-sleeved shirt with a high collar and the Uchiha crest on his back, white shorts, a shuriken holster on his leg, bandages over his shins, armguards, and - he took another glance just to be sure – a small but deadly katana hung on his hip, secured by a belt, that he only noticed now, had several pouches.

It seemed Chiasa hadn’t told the Hokage the complete truth about Sasuke’s skills, if the boy could handle the weapon. It made him wonder what else she had hidden.

Whereas Sasuke looked just like what you’d expect from a fresh genin, as long as you ignored the blade, Chiasa looked battle-ready.

Her previous baggy, worn out clothes had been replaced by simple black pants, a long-sleeved shirt, fingerless cloves, grey armguards that were a few numbers too small but which he knew very well – having had the same in his time as ANBU, ninja sandals, and unsurprisingly, her sword strapped across her back. However, the most noticeable part was the white ANBU cloak, that marked her as squad leader and hid most of her figure.

He jumped startled when Fumiko suddenly landed on his shoulder, sharp claws cutting through the cloth and into his skin. The silver-haired Jounin tried to shoo the annoying bird away without Chiasa noticing but that obviously didn’t work when the falcon screeched loudly, catching Chiasa’s attention.

“Thanks, Fumiko,” murmured the Uchiha softly, turning fully to the Hatake. “I… Kakashi…” It was the first time, that the Jounin could see a red hue on her cheeks, the appearance of those falcons must had really meant something to her, and suddenly, Kakashi didn’t mind being subjected to threatening glares so much. “Thank you for letting us stay the night. I will repay you as soon as I have access to the Uchiha finances.”

It seemed as if this was it. Sasuke had finished his breakfast, too, and stepped next to his older sister.

“Thank you, Kakashi-san,” the boy said politely, for once not frowning.

“Ma, nothing to thank.”

He followed them to his door, contemplating telling them that he’d see them very soon. When Sasuke was out of the apartment, Chiasa turned back one last time, looking at him as if she knew exactly that it had been not nothing, that it had been so incredible hard for him to have anyone in his apartment.

“See you soon, Hatake,” she said softly before the door fell shut behind her, and Kakashi was left staring at his old wooden door.

* * *

To reach the Academy, the siblings had to walk straight through Konoha since Kakashi’s apartment had been at the outskirts of the village. The two ignored the other residents of Konoha that had nothing better to do, then gossip about the two people that wore a long-forgotten crest on their back.

Chiasa had sent her falcons ahead, telling them to survey the city cautiously, only Fumiko had stayed on her shoulder like a silent guardian. Meanwhile, she had taken to shelter Sasuke from the uncomfortable stares and whispers as much as possible, but to her pride her brother simply carried on his way. Head held high and steps confident. Though, a scowl marred his face again.

When they reached the Academy only a few children were still outside, most having already entered their classes.

Suddenly, Sasuke looked up to her, his hand gripping hers frantically. A mournful expression crossed Chiasa’s face before it was quickly replaced by a soothing smile. She knew that look in his eyes well, that look of being afraid to disappoint. If Chiasa hated her father for one thing, it was that he had put that look on Sasuke’s face. His unreasonable expectations had made Sasuke insecure, something that he tried to hide behind snide comments and scowling faces. But she and Itachi had always known it was there.

“Nee-san, I-”

“You’re incredible brave, little brother, and as long as you are happy with your choices, you’ll never disappoint me.”

Taking a deep breath, Sasuke released her hand, pushing his own into his pockets and together they walked into the Academy. It didn’t take long to find Iruka’s classroom, the excited chatter of the newly graduates not to overhear.

“Naruto! What are you doing here? Class today is only for the students who didn’t fail!”

The siblings stood now directly in front of the classroom, hearing the loud screams inside. Chiasa’s breath shuttered as she heard that name and even Sasuke looked slightly intrigued. He remembered Naruto from before, having shared his lunch with the blond a few times.

“What?! Can’t you see the headband?!” An ear-shattering voice rang through the classroom and the Uchiha grimaced. If they had been that loud, they’d have been killed in seconds.

“Go on, Sasuke,” muttered Chiasa encouraging, following right behind when her brother stepped into the classroom.

Lightning-fast, she had surveyed the room, checking for any threats. She let out a relieved sigh when she couldn’t see any immediate threat, settling her sharingan on the other students.

Meanwhile, the classroom had fallen into utter silence, every student staring curiously at the newcomer.

“Hey. Uchiha Sasuke, right?” All of the sudden, a blonde girl stood in front of him, an arm wrapped around another girl with cherry-pink hair. “I’m Yamanaka Ino and this is Haruno Sakura. We’ve been in your class before you suddenly left. Are you back for the genin exam?”

The blonde gazed at Sasuke curiously, pouting when he made no sign to answer her. Sakura stood blushing next to her best friend, feeling a bit uncomfortable to speak to the boy. It had been five years since they had last seen him and even back then, they hadn’t been close friends. Her green eyes wandered curiously to the intimidating woman next to Sasuke that seemed the see right into her soul.

“Sasuke.” Her voice was warmer than Sakura had expected from someone that seemed to be a kunoichi.

The raven-haired boy glanced at his sister, rolling his eyes at the chastisement, and grumbled: “Yeah, I’m Uchiha Sasuke. I remember you, Yamanaka and Haruno.” Then he looked away again, his shoes suddenly being the most interesting thing in the world.

Sighing, Chiasa nudged her brother’s shoulder.

“Just take a place until Iruka-sensei comes, Sasuke. I’m sure your classmates are nice enough to answer any questions you have. Ino-chan, Sakura-chan,” she turned to the two girls that were suddenly the centre of bloodred eyes. “I hope it’s okay if I call you that, please, excuse my brother. He’s s bit grumpy today, but he’ll warm up. I’m Uchiha Chiasa by the way, it’s nice to meet you.”

Sasuke had taken the moment the girls were distracted to sneak into an empty seat, folding his hands, he stared bored at the blackboard. Hopefully, his cold behaviour would keep the others away from him. Chiasa had said that he should try to find friends, but he didn’t need them anyway. He only needed to get strong enough to help his sister.

Ino eyed the ebony-haired woman with sparkling eyes. All the rumours that Uchiha women were simply gorgeous had been true. Perhaps, the woman would share her secrets?

“Sure thing, Uchiha-san. Say, you’re a kunoichi, right? Do you have any tips for me? I haven’t seen you in the village, now that I think about it. And I see everyone in the Yamanaka flower shop. My dad said, you and Sasuke-kun had to leave for a mission, nee, where did you go? Oh, did you go to the capital? I heard it is a beautiful city!”

Chiasa chuckled lightly, the stormy girl the opposite to her Sasuke.

“Your dad is Inochi-sama, right? So, you must hear a lot of things.” She crouched down a bit to be on eyelevel with the two girls. “It’s true that Sasuke and I were on a mission, but I can’t tell you where, that’s supposed to be secret.”

“Uchiha-san.” Sakura suddenly spoke up, an embarrassed blush covering her cheeks as she wrung her hands nervously.

“Just call me Chiasa. What is it that you want to know, Sakura-chan?”

Sasuke warily watched from his seat as more and more of the students surrounded his sister, staring at her like she was the most interesting object in the world. However, he held back his snide comments as he noted Chiasa’s soft smile, remembering how much his older sister adored children.

“Your eyes, is that the sharingan? I’ve read about it, but I’ve never seen one in person!” asked Sakura shyly, though inwardly she was bursting with excitement. How many could say they had seen a sharingan now that the clan was almost extinct?

“You’re a smart girl, aren’t you?” replied Chiasa without really answering Sakura’s question.

Her eyes caught sight of a timid, black-haired girl with white eyes that stood a bit away from the others but peeked at Fumiko with poorly hidden longing. With a slight movement of her head she asked Fumiko to fly to the shy girl. Her partner followed unresistingly, ascending into the air with a few strong strokes of her wings. She elicited a few joyful laughs of the children as she circled them before settling down into the shy girl’s hands.

“Her name’s Fumiko,” explained Chiasa as the girl stared stunned at the falcon before hesitantly petting her.

A sudden noise near her brother, pulled his attention immediately away from the rest of the children. A blond, clad in an orange jumpsuit that screamed kill-me-now, had jumped onto Sasuke’s desk, leaning into his face scowling. The three whisker marks on his cheeks caused a stinging pain in her heart.

“Naruto, you jerk!” All of the sudden, Sakura had stomped over to the boys, nothing reminded of the shy, polite girl from before as she balled her fist angrily. “Leave Sasuke alone!”

Her brother, not one to let a challenge slide, leaned in closer as well, glaring at the blond.

“Hit him, Sasuke…” seemed to chant the entire class, and Chiasa had rarely felt so sick. How could they all pick on the blond?

Chiasa saw it a splint second before it happened.

The boy in the row before her brother, leaned back accidentally nudging Naruto.

Sasuke stared stunned at the blond that was suddenly so close to his face, not hearing the apologetic “Sorry.”, but could only concentrate on the warm and soft feeling on his lips. His eyes widened even more as the realisation hit.

For a second nobody moved, and you could have heard a pin drop, but then the screeching and shouting began, and the two boys pulled apart.

Shocked, Sasuke jumped backwards, almost falling out of his seat. His flustered expression was mirrored by the blond boy. Frantically, his eyes searched his sister’s, only for him to blush bright red in embarrassment as he caught sight of her amused expression.

“Naruto!” roared sakura, cracking her fingers.

Luckily for Naruto, Umino Iruka stepped into the classroom in that moment and ushered the students into their seats. Only then, did he turn to Chiasa, eyeing her perplexed.

“Can I help you, Uchiha-sama?” he inquired friendly, and Chiasa suddenly knew why the man had become a teacher. His warm brown eyes and friendly smile made her want to tell him all her secrets.

“Not really, Iruka-sensei. I’m just here to watch my brother, but don’t worry, I won’t disrupt your lesson.”

With that she walked to the back of the classroom, her cold mask back on her face. Gone was the soft, genuine smile she had shared with the children, back was the heartless assassin.

Iruka watched the kunoichi perplexed, debating if he should argue with her. Hokage-sama had warned him that the protectiveness of the older Uchiha over her younger brother was unusual, but he hadn’t expected it to be that extreme. After a moment of consideration, he decided to let her stay.


	5. Chapter 4

Chiasa could barely tear her eyes away from the blond jinchuuriki next to her brother. It was the first time in years that she had the chance to see Kushina-oba-san’s son and she desperately took in the sight, memorizing it with her sharingan for eternity.

Uzumaki Naruto.

She wondered what kind of person he had become. Was he kind? Or bitter at the world? Did he have friends to laugh with? Did he have someone who cared about him? Did the Hokage raise him like he had promised Minato-san and Kushina-oba-san?

The urge to know, to simply embrace him, to hold him close, grew with every second she spent in the same room as the blond. It was dangerous.

When Iruka began to speak, she forced herself to survey the other students in the room. The class mostly consisted of clan children, except a handful of civilians. The Uchiha wondered who her brother’s teammates would be. For both of their sakes, she hoped it wouldn’t be the Aburame boy, not that she had a problem with the clan. It was just that her falcons ate bugs and she’d prefer to avoid an unnecessary fight with the Aburame Clan Head.

“From this day forward, you are no longer more Academy students, but full-fledged shinobi.”

Chiasa scowled inwardly at Iruka’s rather glorified speech. As if any of these children had an idea of what it meant to be a full-fledged shinobi. They would only begin to understand after their first kill. He shouldn’t make them so arrogant. Arrogance would only lead to their early grave.

“But among the ranks of shinobi, you are mere genin, lowest of the low. Your greatest challenges all lie ahead. The next step is the assignment of official duties to you all on behalf of our village. We will begin by dividing you into three-man teams. Each of you will be mentored by a Jounin, who will guide and coach you as you become familiar with your various assignments.” Stated Iruka with a proud smile on his face.

Chiasa played with a strand of her hair, as she watched the faces of the genin.

Her brother’s scowl had deepened, and she knew it was because he was wary of the others. A team meant he had to trust them to have his back. He would have to make himself vulnerable and assailable, like he hadn’t done since Itachi. Naruto seemed to be bored, though he sometimes stole secret glances at Sasuke and the pink-haired girl – Sakura-chan – next to him. And Sakura seemed determined, balling her fists.

“I made the selections so that each team’s abilities would be approximately equal.”

The brunet’s explanation was answered by shocked and angered exclamations of the students that had hoped to be in the same team as their friends. However, Chiasa was glad that at least that hadn’t changed from the last time she had been in the Academy. If the administration had chosen teams based on the students wishes, she’d have to have a serious discussion with them. And that would have most likely ended with something set on fire.

“Next, Team 7. Haruno Sakura… Uzumaki Naruto…”

At this Sakura slumped down defeated, and Naruto cheered loudly. The negative reaction of the girl rang alarm bells in Chiasa’s head, as she also noticed the relieved sighs of the other students of not being with the Uzumaki. Perhaps, she would talk to the girl some time, to make her see the importance of teammates; it was the least she owed Kushina-oba-san.

“And… Uchiha Sasuke!”

For a moment, Chiasa’s heart stopped beating. Did Iruka just say Uchiha Sasuke? Were her brother’s teammates really Haruno Sakura and Uzumaki Naruto? Uzumaki Naruto, the jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi, Kushina-oba-san’s son, the boy the Hokage had forced her family to stay away from, the child she already loved like a little brother despite her attempt to shield her heart with iron walls? What the fuck was the old man thinking?! Why … why would he do that?

Frantically she looked at her brother, surprised to see a faint blush on his pale face. A quick glance at the blond, showed her that the boy stared up at his teacher with large, glazed azure-blue eyes. Perhaps, she wasn’t the only one happy with the assignment. Though, the way Sakura eyed her little brother made her eyebrow twitch. Now, she would definitely need to have a talk with the girl before she lost herself in some unrealistic dream and endangered her teammates.

However, Iruka seemed a bit annoyed at the blond, though why, was a mystery to Chiasa.

“Of the twenty-seven of you, Sasuke has the best grades even though he wasn’t even in the Academy for the past years, Naruto.” The brunet put his hands on his hips, a scowl marring his face. “You would be the bottom of the class. The idea is to balance your different strengths … that’s why you ended up together!”

Chiasa knew she was being bias, knew she didn’t have every information, but Umino Iruka had attacked Naruto openly and the fire inside her burned!

Sharingan eyes locked on to the large windows as chakra darted around the handles, pushing them wide open as a strong gust of wind plunged into the classroom. The papers in Iruka’s hand flew around the room, eliciting perplexed screams of the students.

Sasuke whipped around, looking perplexed at his sister, who he knew had something to do with it – her chakra presence all over the room.

Iruka, too, gawked at the kunoichi, though he felt a shiver run down his spine as he met cold, merciless sharingan eyes. Suddenly, he felt like he stood against a wild, cruel dragon and unconsciously took a step back. Though, as the Uchiha made no sign to move or talk, the brunet forced himself to continue.

However, Chiasa was no longer interested in intimidating the teacher, eyes focused on the slightly downtrodden blond. She didn’t know what relation he had with the brunet, but he had been hurt by his comment. It wasn’t fair to tell the entire class that he was the worst – which was honestly a surprise to her, since both, Minato and Kushina, had been geniuses – and it wasn’t fair to compare him with Sasuke. She had trained her brother to survive! The Academy had trained those children to pass exams, not survival!

“Hn.” She eyed her brother thoughtfully. He still stared firmly to the front, hands folded in front of him, an arrogant expression on his face, though as he spoke, he glanced at the blond. “Just don’t drag me down.”

That arrogant sentence seemed to shake Naruto out of whatever upset state he had been, and he glared at Sasuke, shaking with anger.

“…Teme!”

Seeing the barely noticeable smirk on her brother’s face, Chiasa laughed to herself. Apparently, Sasuke had a soft spot for the blond Uzumaki, for him to go out and talk to him willingly. Even if it was only to get a rise out of him.

“Okay, everyone. I’ll be introducing your senseis this afternoon. Until then, you’re dismissed!” stated Iruka before he left the room, perhaps a bit quicker than he would have normally. The silent Uchiha kunoichi still making him uncomfortable.

As soon as Iruka was out of the classroom, the kids were out of their seats and talked amiably with their friends and new teammates. However, there was one team that continued to sit in silence. Shaking her head fondly, Chiasa walked to her brother and his teammates – it was time that Sasuke made friends. A quick check around, told her that Fumiko was still happily in the hands of the Hyuuga girl, which had started to feed her small pieces of her lunch, and was surrounded by the Inuzuka boy and Aburame boy. Grimacing, she hoped her partner was smart enough to stay away from the boy’s bugs.

“So,” she stated as she sat down on the desk before the three children, aware that every eye was suddenly on her. “Now, that you’re Sasuke’s teammates I think we should get to know each other a little bit. And Sasu.” she playfully glared at her brother. “Stop acting like you have a stick up your ass.”

The raven-haired boy grumbled but gave in, letting the scowl fade from his face. He stood no chance against his sister, anyway.

“Hey! Who are you! Are you our sensei, dattebayo?!” shouted Naruto and jumped up, eyes sparkling in excitement.

Chiasa resisted the urge to rub her ear, wondering absentmindedly if she’d be deaf by the time the day was over.

“Ah, no. Sorry, Naruto-kun, I’m afraid I’m only Sasuke’s sister. Though, I will be spending quite a lot of time with you.”

“What?! How do you know my name?” The blond was suddenly in her face, squinting warily before leaning back, a satisfied grin on his face. “Is it because you have heard tales of the great Uzumaki Naruto, the next Hokage of Konoha?”

“Oi, dobe! What do you think talking to Chiasa-nee like that?” Sasuke was suddenly up too, grabbing the blond’s collar. As if it hadn’t been enough that two boys glared daggers at each other, previous embarrassment forgotten, Sakura joined the fight and soon everyone in the class was shouting at the blond. Though, Chiasa’s attention was held by something else.

“You want to be Hokage?” she asked out of the blue, heart clenching painful as she thought it must be fate.

Naruto scowled at her warily as if she would laugh at him for his dream, and Chiasa thought that perhaps, others had. That thought alone let the fire in her burn anew, ready to lash out.

“What’s it to you, dattebayo?”

Instead of answering immediately, Chiasa reached out, ruffling the spiky blond hair gently.

“You’re going to be a great Hokage, Naruto. I know it.”

Frozen, Naruto stared up at her like she was an angel, a being from another world. What that said about the way he had been treated, was something Chiasa didn’t want to think too deeply about. It was enough that she had intimidated one Chunin today, there didn’t need to be a village-wide fire. At least not yet.

Eventually, the children settled down again, Naruto having placed himself directly next to her, as if he was afraid, she’d disappear. Sakura was once more, wringing her hands shyly, stealing glances at the others. And Sasuke had put his hands into his pockets, silently waiting for his sister to do something.

“What about you, Sakura-chan? Do you have any dreams?” Chiasa asked the girl softly, trying to get her comfortable, though before Sakura had the chance to answer, an unknown Chunin entered the classroom and after a moment of simply staring at the ebony-haired kunoichi, walked up to them.

“Uchiha Chiasa?” he inquired, voice timid and eyes moving frantically around, only to not look at intelligent sharingan eyes directly.

“Yes?”

The air in the room immediately changed, and Sasuke sat up straight, shoulders tense and a scowl back on his face. Out of the corner of her eye, Chiasa could see Fumiko looking up warily, ready to sweep in any moment and rip into the Chunin.

“Hokage-sama demands your attendance. The Council has assembled to discuss a few matters with you. You are to come immediately.”

If there had been even an inkling of a warm smile on Chiasa’s face when the Chunin had entered the classroom, it had been gone the moment he had mentioned the council. Her father had raised her to be one day Clan Head of the Uchiha and for that, she had been forced to study politics for hours on end, especially the three Elders of Konoha. She knew their shinobi files, knew what they had been able to do at their peak of power, as she knew for the other Clan Heads. To say that she was looking forward to this meeting would be the same as saying that Iwa hadn’t feared Namikaze Minato. A lie.

“Of course.”

Her cold, polite voice echoed through the room, making the children look at her perplexed. Ino even stormed over from where she had sat with some other girls, to glare at the unsuspecting Chunin.

“He isn’t bothering you, Chiasa-san, is he? My Daddy-”

“It’s alright, Ino-chan,” she told the blonde, putting her hand reassuringly on her shoulder. “Chunin-san just reminded me that I have an appointment. I wish you all the best for your future career as kunoichi, and if you have some questions some time, just come and find me. Sasuke.”

Chiasa hadn’t even had to call her brother, the boy having already moved from his place to stand next to her. Fumiko, too, had left the little Hyuuga to take her place on her shoulder.

All of the sudden, someone grabbed her white ANBU coat, holding her back. Looking down, Chiasa was met with large blue eyes that gazed at her curiously.

“Can we come too, Chiasa-nee? I promise we’ll be quiet, dattebayo! You won’t even notice we are there!”

The Uchiha’s heart warmed in a strange way as Naruto called her Nee-san. She had always wished for such a relation to Kushina-oba-san’s child, and now that the Hokage had basically handed it to her, she was determined to take it with both hands, holding on to it fiercely. Her eyes wandered from the blond to the pink-haired girl that looked no less determined as the other, and somehow, she had already let them into her heart.

It would be her downfall one day, she knew that. But children had always been her weakness. The ones that were still innocent, not yet tainted by the reality of the world. An Uchiha loved differently than the other clans. It was both, a curse and a gift that they loved eternally, unconditionally, beyond logic or reason, beyond time and life and death. And with a simple look into her eyes, the children had made their place in her heart. They were hers to protect now.

“Of course, Naruto-kun. You too, Sakura-chan. But you have to do everything I say, okay?” With one hand she took Naruto’s into hers - small, calloused hands that were proof that he tried – and put the other on Sasuke’s shoulder. Sakura had hesitantly taken Naruto’s other hand, something that made the blond beam and Sasuke scrunching his nose in irritation. “Hold on tight.”

Letting her chakra envelop the children, Chiasa pulled them into a combined shunshin until they stood in front of the Hokage office. Sasuke was used to that kind of travel, but the other two looked up to her with starstruck eyes.

“Oi! Can you teach me, Nee-san?!” shouted Naruto, jumping up and down, though when Sakura tugged on his hand, he at least stopped the jumping.

Chiasa gave the boy a faint smile, his enthusiasm was heart-warming.

“We’ll see. I’m sure your sensei will teach it to you eventually. Now,” she looked the children firmly into the eyes. “Remember, don’t say a word and do what I tell you when I tell you!”

It was a risk, taking Naruto and Sakura to the Council meeting, none of them knew how important that meeting would be and none of them had any experience with the cunningness that politicians breathed. But how could she have said no to Naruto, when the boy looked at her with pleading eyes and her heart had yearned for thirteen years to spend time with the child. She only hoped that it wouldn’t backfire to badly.

After she had gotten an affirmative nod from each of the children, she let her cold mask fall into place and opened the door after a quick, polite knock.

As she stepped into the room - head held high, confident steps, a polite smile on her lips, and Fumiko on her shoulder – her sharingan took in the other people in a flash.

Like always, the Hokage sat behind his desk, pipe in his mouth and a slight worried glint in his old eyes. Then on a couch next to him sat the three Elders, Shimura Danzo poised like he was the Hokage and everyone should bow to his will. Even before she had left Konoha, his presence had giving her shivers, but now, it was like the fire in her veins told her to run and never turn back. And on the other side of the room, all Clan Heads of Konoha had gathered.

The tension in the air was so high strung that even Naruto, who had wanted to greet his jiji loudly like he always did, kept quiet.

“Thank you for coming immediately, Chiasa. As you can see, the council and the Clan Heads have a few matters to discuss with you. Though, I’m wondering why you’ve brought Naruto-kun and Sakura-chan with you. I believe, the matters are not something to be discussed around children,” Hiruzen stated, the order to send the children away, clear in his message.

“But Jiji! Chiasa-nee is so cool! Let us stay here, dattebayo!”

“Please excuse Naruto, Hokage-sama,” intervened Chiasa before the old man had even the chance to respond.

Without a word from his sister, Sasuke took Naruto’s hand, pulling him next to him, hissing lowly: “Keep your mouth shut, Naruto!”

“However, I am afraid I can not send the genin away. Naruto and Sakura are both Sasuke’s teammates and did not want to part from him. I am sure, you know how important a healthy and strong teamwork is for newly genin as well as for seasoned Jounin. Furthermore, I believe it would be beneficial for them to be introduced to the political side of Konoha as soon as possible. Though, if you insist, they will follow your orders.”

Every adult was well aware that Chiasa had caught the Hokage with her words, not really giving him a choice but to let the children stay. For many, it caused flashbacks to the time Uchiha Mikoto had stood before them, words sweet and honeyed but only till she had lured them into her web.

Thoughtfully, Hiruzen stroke his beard. Chiasa knew how to play the game better than he had thought, the woman never having had her debut before she had giving up her role as heiress. Perhaps, that had been for the better for Konoha. Or the worse for the Uchiha Clan. Itachi had reassured him that Uchiha Chiasa had not been included in the plan for the Uchiha coup d’état. If she had known, perhaps, the tragedy could have been avoided.

“If you do not mind, the children can stay.”

“Enough of that petty talking!” Danzo hit his cane against the floor, the disgust for the entire situation clear in his body language. “Turn off your sharingan, Chiasa! You are not in a battle!”

Fumiko reared back at the command; wings settled to attack the strange shinobi. Though, a sharp movement of her partner’s hand stopped her.

“With all due respect, Councilman.”

How Chiasa managed to make herself seen even more intimidating without using any of her chakra, was a mystery to the Clan Heads that watched the exchange tensely. With every moment they spent with Uchiha Chiasa they felt like Uchiha Mikoto stared at them fearlessly. The Uchiha Matriarch had been a force to be reckoned with, even if she had withdrawn herself from the political side when her youngest had been born.

“You do not have the authority to order me around. If you are so worried that I would be able to put you, the esteemed Elder of Konoha and student of the Nidaime Hokage, under a genjutsu, than I am afraid you should perhaps consider retiring. Though, I believe this irrelevant thing was not the matter you wanted to discuss with me.”

“This is not an inconsequential matter, child! You-”

“Enough, Danzo!” Hiruzen cut in, silencing his old friend. He understood why Chiasa kept her sharingan, though he hoped dearly she would soon feel safe in Konoha again. “I believe Shikaku should start, until you’ve pulled yourself together.” A look at the Nara Clan Head was all the man needed to step forward and extend his hand to the young Jounin.

“It is good to have you back, Uchiha-sama. Your absence was an unfortunate event, though we understand the need to distance oneself. Though, I must admit that you look more and more like your mother. As Jounin Commander I would like to re-evaluate your skills some time, it wouldn’t do for me not to know what you’re capable. And as Clan Head I want to extend the offer that if you need something, the Nara Clan will be happy to help. Perhaps, we could arrange for a game of shogi sometime soon.”

Chiasa didn’t hesitate to take the man’s hand. Nara Shikaku was a genius well known throughout the Elemental Nations. It would do her good to have him as her ally and if she wasn’t mistaken, his son was in Sasuke’s year. One more reason to put herself on the good side of the Clan Head.

“Thank you for the invitation, Nara-sama. We can surely find a time that would suit both of us. Perhaps, Sasuke and - Shikamaru, wasn’t it – could get to know each other too.” She smiled faintly at the man, as he nodded his head in agreement and stepped back, joining the other Clan Heads once more.

“Now, let’s talk about the future of the Uchiha Clan.” Utatane Koharu had taken the word, her expression stern and serious. “I’m just going to get right to the point, Chiasa. The Uchiha Clan is almost extinct and as the only female member of age it is your responsibility to restore the clan. For that we have decided to reevoke the Clan Restoration Act that has been abolished years ago. We have already found some suitable partners for you, child. As soon as your brother is of age, he too, will obviously take part in it, siring as many Uchiha as possible. Of course, this means that you will have to retire from active duty.”

The only one that noticed that a storm was rising outside was Shikaku, and the Nara was smart enough to know to bring a bit more distance between him and the silent Uchiha.

Sasuke was frozen as he heard the old hag talk down to his sister, each word of her stroke the fire that burned inside of him, and deep inside he knew, if Chiasa didn’t respond soon he’d explode. That woman had apparently no idea what love meant to the Uchiha Clan or she’d have thought twice about uttering this discourteous nonsense in front of the last two survivors. He knew that he’d never take part in such disgraceful act, he’d sooner cut his throat!

Meanwhile, Sakura and Naruto had taken a hold on their teammate, whether it was because they needed an anchor in that tense situation or because they wanted to stop him from lashing out, nobody was certain about it.

“Are you done, old hag?” Chiasa smiled at the Elders sweetly, sharingan eyes blazing with fury.

“Excuse you! You will show me the respect I deserve!” bellowed Koharu, standing up intimidatingly.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I thought we were calling each other as we see fit, or why do you insist on calling me a child and by my given name when I have not giving you permission to do so? Now, I will say only one thing, dear Elders. If you continue to talk about my Clan, as if it is yours to do with as you wish, and if you persist in believing that you have any authority about mine and my brother’s future, you will find yourself a head shorter. Do not fool yourself with believing that I am bound to Konoha, do not conclude that I am your faithful dog!”

A sudden gust of wind shattered the large windows and the Hokage was immediately surrounded by ANBU.

With her head held high, Chiasa gifted everyone in the room a dangerous smirk before turning her back on them and ushering the children behind her outside. Just before she stepped out of the Hokage office, she looked back, saying over her shoulder: “If you talk about me like some cattle for sell or object that belongs to you, one more time, you will realise that my mother’s temper is nothing compared to mine and I will make Itachi’s actions seen like child’s play!”

Another gust of wind slammed the door shut behind her.

“At least she didn’t set the village on fire,” muttered Shikaku relieved, uncaring about the disbelieving looks the other Clan Heads sent his way. Apparently, they had forgotten the time Uchiha Mikoto had set half of the Hyuuga Clan on fire when they had asked her to betroth Uchiha Sasuke and Hyuuga Hinata. Later, she had revealed to him that if they had ordered her, or just spoken a bit more demanding, the whole of the Clan would have burned.

Outside of the office, Chiasa had grabbed the children and shunshinned to the nearest training ground, where she sat them down in a safe distance.

“Don’t move, okay? As soon as I’m done, we’re going back to the Academy to meet your sensei. Don’t worry about being late, I’ll explain it to them. For now, don’t move!”

In a flash, she was twenty-or-so metres away from them. It wasn’t even a conscious decision as she moulded her chakra exhaling a giant fireball, followed by a huge fire dragon. With an intimidating windstorm, the fire expanded rapidly, soon surrounding Chiasa in an enormous mix of flames and wind.

“Wow, someone must have really pissed her off.”

The genin let out a scream as they hadn’t noticed anyone come up, too fascinated by the spectacle before their eyes.

“Kakashi!” hissed Sasuke, hand moving to his racing heart. For a moment he hadn’t been in Konoha, but on the run with his sister, and Chiasa was fighting for real. Hastily, he put back the kunai he had drawn, hoping against all logic that Kakashi hadn’t noticed.

“Ma, sorry, Sasuke. I wasn’t aware you were scared so easily.”

Of course, the silver-haired Jounin had noticed and had no hesitation to tease the scowling Uchiha. Though, most of his attention lay on the one that let out another truly terrifying sea of flames.

“Oi, old man! Who are you, dattebayo?! Isn’t Chiasa-nee the best?!” Naruto gawked at Kakashi suspiciously, though his eyes were still starstruck by the sight of the kunoichi.

Sasuke was still a bit high strung from the meeting, as well as from the unexpected scare, and snarled: “Stop calling her Nee-san! She’s not yours!”

However, Naruto’s amazement didn’t falter, probably not even having heard the Uchiha.

Meanwhile, Sakura had finally torn her eyes away from the incredible kunoichi and eyed the silver-haired shinobi warily. He must have known Chiasa since Sasuke knew his name but that still didn’t explain why he was here.

Naruto’s question had caught Kakashi off guard, he wasn’t sure what to say to these children. In all honesty, he had planned to meet them like five hours after their actual meeting time and then just send them off as fast as possible, but when he had seen the massive fire inferno he had decided to check it out. A quick flare of his chakra told him that he wasn’t the only one with the idea and that at least two squads of ANBU were on standby as well as a handful of curious Jounin.

“How about, you tell me why Chiasa is setting the training ground on fire and I tell you, who I am?” he offered with a closed-eyed smile.

The raven-haired boy stared darkly at Kakashi, his lips curling into a disgusted smirk.

“The Elders tried to force Nee-san to sleep with others in order to restore the Uchiha Clan. It’s disgusting! They have no idea what a disgrace that is for the Uchiha, if Otou-sama and Kaa-chan were still alive they would have called for their execution! I’m still surprised Nee-san didn’t turn them into ash. They insulted all of us! Ita… not even he would have stood for such slander!”

Sasuke continued to talk himself into rage, whilst Kakashi racked his brain for anything that Itachi or Obito had said about arranged marriages or something like that, but he couldn’t think of any. It was frustrating! He’d ask Chiasa for a more elaborate explanation later.

“So, now it’s your turn,” stated Sakura, green eyes analysing the Jounin cautiously. “Who are you?”

“Ma.” Kakashi slouched back, smiling as he pulled out his Icha-Icha. “I’m your Jounin sensei and you three are my adorable genin.”

The surprise was visible on every genin’s face, as they turned away from the kunoichi, and instead gawked at the Jounin.

After another relieving firedragon, Chiasa had released enough of her built up anger to return to the genin under her watch. However, when she turned around, shunshinning to where she had left them, all three were staring stunned at Hatake Kakashi. Even lost in her anger, she had felt his and the other chakra signatures appear and the fact, that she hadn’t immediately stopped and moved to the genin’s side was only another proof that she trusted the Hatake more than she was comfortable to admit.

“What did you do that left them so stunned?” she asked as she stopped next to the silver-haired Jounin, cheeks flushed from the workout and hair ruffled.

Kakashi seemed to only spare her a quick glance, before turning his attention back on the Icha-Icha in his hands.

“I guess, they were a bit surprised to meet their new sensei.”

Warily, Chiasa narrowed her eyes at the laidback response of the Hatake.

“… You’ve known that Sasuke would be your genin since the moment you met us.”

It wasn’t a question, simply a fact stated. The kunoichi couldn’t believe that the man had been able to keep that a secret from her, the logical excuse that he had made no sign of even being interested in genin ignoring. Though, despite the shock, it was a welcomed surprise. She had spent about a week with the Hatake and had time to read him. And Kakashi had time to see just how overprotective she was about her brother, hopefully, having realized that nothing would ever stop her from coming to his protection.

“That’s good,” was all she had to say before sitting down comfortably, resolved to let Kakashi and Team 7 get to know each other.

After a while, Kakashi looked up feeling Chiasa’s eyes on him, the slight arched eyebrow the only indication that she was not impressed by him ignoring his genin. Sighing, he put back his Icha-Icha and crossed his arms.

“Now, how about you all tell us a little about yourselves.”

If he remembered right, Minato-sensei had wanted them to introduce themselves too, so this was probably right. Still, he wondered who had thought giving him a genin team was smart, when he didn’t even know how to start a conversation.

It was Sakura who broke the silence, hands nervously petting Fumiko who had descended from Sasuke’s shoulder to the insecure girl.

“Like what, sensei?”

“… You know. The usual. Your favourite thing… What you hate most… Dreams, ambitions, hobbies. Things like that.”

“Help us out here, coach. You go first. Show us how it’s done,” said Naruto, squeezing his eyes together.

“That’s right… after all, you’re a complete stranger to us … a mystery!”

Chiasa chocked back an amused chuckle when the children banded together against Kakashi. Though, she still eyed her little brother worriedly. They would have to talk about what the Elders had said, before it could wrench his view of Konoha. She knew it wasn’t the brightest after the massacre, but she still wanted him to see the village in the way she had seen it. Even if she no longer felt safe and protected behind the village walls, Sasuke should feel at home here, in the village their ancestors had sacrificed so much for.

“Oh… me?” Kakashi looked completely unimpressed as he responded aloofly: My name is Hatake Kakashi. I’m the kind of person who doesn’t feel like talking about his likes and dislikes! My dreams for the future are none of our business… but anyway, I have lots of hobbies.”

The genin were not the only ones unimpressed by the scarce introduction, Chiasa found herself inwardly frowning sceptically. She didn’t like that the Hatake seemed to keep the genin on arm’s length, though perhaps she was reading too much into the situation. They were his team; he’d know what he did.

Her shyness forgotten, Sakura turned to the two boys, muttering annoyed: “Hey, he said a lot but all we really learned was his name.”

“Now, it’s your turn. Starting with you, blondie.”

Suddenly, Naruto sat up straight, a blinding smile on his face as he fastened his hitai-ate.

“Me, right?!” he asked excitingly. “My name is Uzumaki Naruto! What I like is instant cup ramen! What I like even better is when Iruka-sensei treats me to ramen at Ichiraku! What I hate is the three minute wait after I pour in the boiling water. My dream is to one day become Hokage! And then all the villagers will have to acknowledge my existence at last!!! My hobbies are pranks and practical jokes, I guess.”

Chiasa’s heart had once again stung painfully as she could see her obaa-san clearly in the blond boy. Kami, he was more like Kushina-obaa-san than she had thought possible. Ramen and being Hokage, only two traits that had defined her obaa-san but seeing them again… if she hadn’t giving up on crying, she was certain she would have shed a tear.

“Next!”

She didn’t have time to gauge out Hatake’s reaction about Naruto’s introduction, when it was Sasuke’s turn.

Her brother was once more scowling and looking darkly, and that simply wouldn’t do. Not if he wanted to build a bond with his teammates.

Silently, Chiasa replaced herself with a pebble behind her brother, lightly slapping the back of his head.

“What have we discussed, little brother?”

Sighing exasperated and rolling his eyes at her, Sasuke stopped scowling and instead tried to smile faintly. All of the sudden, he didn’t scream emo and darkness anymore, but resembled the happy child, he had been five years ago.

Kakashi was once again surprised, how much Chiasa could influence Sasuke. It seemed like she was his moral compass, his anchor, his guardian that would lead him back when he strayed into the darkness. He chose not to entertain the scenario where Chiasa wasn’t there to guide Sasuke.

“My name is Uchiha Sasuke. I like Nee-san, training and tomatoes. There are plenty of things I hate, but most of all traitors. I don’t really have a dream, because I will make it a reality. I will help Nee-san to fulfil her dream and protect her. That’s why I’ll get stronger than anyone else!”

Kakashi frowned warily. This obsessive behaviour from both siblings could turn out ugly if anything ever happened to one of them, or it could save them from falling into madness.

“And finally, the young Lady.”

Blushing, Sakura held the falcon a bit tighter, as she answered: “I’m Haruno Sakura. My favourite thing is… it’s very unlady-like… it’s …”

Embarrassed, the girl buried her face in her knees.

“What was that Sakura?” asked Kakashi, truly not having heard what his female genin had muttered under her breath.

“IT’S BRAWLING WITH KIBA AND AKAMARU!”

Her sudden outburst made everyone stare at her perplexed. The image of Sakura and Kiba brawling on the ground just didn’t look right, at least not for Naruto who had watched Sakura barely pass in the physical part of the Academy.

“Huh? But Sakura-chan, you… how? You’re so pretty…” stuttered the blond caught off guard.

With red cheeks, Sakura explained reluctantly: “Kaa-chan says it’s unlady-like to get dirty, so I didn’t really fight in the Academy. But one time, Kiba found me when I was really angry and he annoyed me so much that I punched him, and now, we meet up sometimes to scuffle and let out our pent-up frustration. He promised no to tell anyone!”

“Okay, that’s … nice…” Kakashi, still stunned that his petite genin, apparently, wasn’t as fragile as her files had made her seem, pushed for her to continue. “Go on.”

“I hate Naruto and liars! My hobbies are studying and meeting up with Ino. Uh, my dream is to … I haven’t actually thought about that.”

Sakura finished her introduction uncomfortably, suddenly feeling like she had disappointed the strong kunoichi. She didn’t know why she had that feeling for Chiasa-san didn’t look at her any differently from before.

To say that the ebony-haired kunoichi was happy with pink-haired girl would be a lie. Chiasa had been pleasantly surprised to find out that the girl enjoyed fighting, but her obvious dislike for Naruto made everything else void. If she couldn’t at least hide her dislike for the blond, they wouldn’t make a functional team. Hopefully, Hatake would take her aside, telling her the importance of a good relation between teammates.

Kakashi felt already drained from the conversation with his team and was ready to send them away. However, there was still one person he wanted to know more and what better way than to use this?

“It’s your turn now, Hime.” He grinned teasingly, amused by the Uchiha’s surprised expression.

Then a soft smile marred Chiasa’s face and Kakashi was reminded of the way the night sky lit up with stars.

“I’m Uchiha Chiasa, Sasuke’s older sister. I like my family, training and to wander through the gardens in the Uchiha clan compound at night. I dislike unnecessary violence and war. My hobbies are falconry and spending time with my brother. My dream is to reunite my family and watch my brothers grow old.”

There was a sparkle in her deep red eyes that spoke of longing, of a desire so deep that it was painful.

As he had planned, Kakashi had learned more about the mysterious kunoichi, but what he had learned hadn’t calmed him at all. Her dream was one that could be interpretated in many ways and he didn’t know her good enough, to decide which one was the right one.

“Enough.” He decided to end it for today, he had a lot to tell Obito. “I believe we all understand one another. Formal training begins tomorrow.”

Jumping up, Naruto exclaimed: “Yes, Sir! What will our duties be?! Our first real shinobi mission!”

“Our first project involves only the members of this team.”

“What is it? What?” The blond wasn’t one to be discouraged by the bored voice of his sensei. “Survival exercise,” stated Kakashi dramatically. “We’ll meet tomorrow morning on training ground three so that I can evaluate each of your skills and weaknesses. Bring all of your ninja tools and weapons. Ah, and don’t have breakfast beforehand… unless you enjoy throwing up.”

Kakashi used the moment of excitement to disappear unnoticed by the genin and found himself in front of the memorial stone. Tomorrow would show what kind of team he had been given, not that he had the choice to fail them. Not only would the Council breathe down his neck, but the overprotective sister of one of his genin would probably strangle him. Hopefully, he would be able to instil Obito’s view of the world into them. Hopefully, he would be enough.

After Kakashi had left, Chiasa wanted to take Sasuke and search for a place to stay. However, when she turned around, ready to leave, her heart stopped beating for a moment.

“Shishou…”


	6. Chapter 5

“Shishou.”

Chiasa couldn’t believe her eyes as she looked at the tall, brunette woman in front of her. It had been so, so long … a sudden longing filled her and the only thing stopping her from hugging the kunoichi were the watchful eyes of the ANBU still following her. Instead, she stayed where she was, hiding her hands in her travel coat to prevent others from seeing them shake. Even after five years, her Shishou wore her chestnut brown hair in the same long braid and her green eyes still sparkled with power.

Takeshi Asami had seen many things in her long life, some so gruesome that she wondered how she had managed to survive. The Third Shinobi World War, the Kyuubi Attack, S-rank Assassination missions, the death of her genin teammates and hence the end of the only kunoichi team in Konoha’s history, and then the loss of her student.

Her bright eyes analysed attentively the three genin sitting around her old student as Fumiko screeched delighted, flying into her arms. A small smile marred her tired face as she held the falcon close to her heart. She gazed a bit longer at the blond and raven-haired boys. They reminded her so much of them…

“Would you like some tea?” Asami asked when Chiasa made no sign to speak, seemingly still caught off guard.

Chiasa nodded sharply, posture stiff and tense. Suddenly, an inexplainable feeling of fear settled in her gut. She had known she would have to talk to her old mentor, would have to look into her sharp, calculating eyes again, but she wasn’t ready to see the disappointment in them yet. She’d never regret running, not when it had been exactly what both, Sasuke and her, had needed, but Takeshi Asami had taught her to be fearless, to stand her ground and fight.

“Of course. Naruto-kun, Sakura-chan,” the Uchiha looked at the genin, not finding it in herself to smile at them. “Sorry but I have to take Sasuke with me. We’ll see you tomorrow, okay? Be careful when you go home and be ready for your sensei’s survival exercise.”

“Bye, Chiasa-nee! Bye, Sasuke-teme!”

“See you tomorrow, Sasuke and Chiasa-san!”

Sasuke muttered a low goodbye, secretly glancing back at the blond as he followed his sister, still remembering the tingling feeling on his lips.

The ebony-haired kunoichi walked a step behind her Shishou, sharingan eyes always attentive of their surroundings and the ANBU following them. Only when they stepped into her Shishou’s house – a small, homely house in the civilian sector of the village – did she allow herself to breathe freely again. In the past she had spent hours in these walls. If her parent’s house was her first home, this was a close second.

As soon as the front door fell shut, Asami sent out a flicker of chakra and a light-blue hue was emitted from the silencing seals on the walls. It had its advantages to have been the teammate of a seal master, she only regretted not having taught Chiasa those skills before she had left.

“Make yourself at home, while I make some tea. I suppose we have a lot to talk about. Sasuke-kun.”

Asami turned to the young boy, sharp green eyes memorising how he stood behind his sister, wary of her – a stranger in his mind, before she exited the room. It wasn’t surprising that he didn’t remember her; long ago she had decided to live her life in the shadows and that had included to distant herself from her teammates. Taking Chiasa as her student had been her way of showing that she still looked at for them, that they had not been forgotten.

Chiasa made herself comfortable on the couch in her Shishou’s living room, Sasuke and Fumiko next to her. With a relieved sigh, she let her sharingan fade, ignoring the splitting headache that followed and the momentarily blurriness of her vision.

“Who is she?” asked Sasuke quietly, looking curiously around the room when his eyes suddenly stopped at a photo frame.

His legs moved automatically, carrying him over as he was unbale to tear his gaze from the girls – the kunoichi – in the photograph.

“Kaa-chan,” he whispered hoarsely.

Abruptly, he stared back at his sister, shocked by the similarity.

“You look just like her. … How does this woman have this photograph?”

A faint smile grazed Chiasa’s face, features softening. Before she had the chance to explain, however, Asami entered the room again, teapot in her hands.

“I’m Takeshi Asami and your mother was my genin teammate, Sasuke-kun. Also,” her eyes softened, eyeing the ebony-haired kunoichi with love. “I was Chiasa’s teacher after she graduated the Academy.”

Asami sat down the teapot carefully, before getting down on her knees, forehead touching the floor as she bowed deeply.

“I failed you, Chiasa. I failed as your Shishou and as Mikoto’s friend to protect you and your brothers. I know that there is nothing that I could do to ever gain your forgiveness, but for what it is worth, I am sorry. When Hokage-sama announced that you and Sasuke were on a long-term mission, I knew he was lying. I know your fiery temper under that cold mask of yours, I know your fierce determination and undying love for your brothers. So, I knew that you left and ran. I knew you would continue to run until you deemed it safe enough to stop. I knew and I didn’t follow you for I was a coward.”

Pain and sorrow were in Chiasa’s eyes as she kneed next to the bowing kunoichi and took her hand gently.

“You’re wrong, Shishou.” She said softly. “When I was out there alone, all I had was your training and the lessons you taught me. And because of you I did survive. And not only that, but I was also able to lead others to survival as well. Without that, Sasuke and I would have died a long time ago. So, you see? You didn’t fail me, nor did you fail my mother. You were the best Shishou I could have wished for.”

With teary eyes, Asami gazed at the young woman that her student had become. For five years, she had feared to see her again as much as she had longed to have her back. Believing that she had failed her – Mikoto’s little girl – was a torture like no other. But it seemed that even the murder of her family hadn’t destroyed the girl she knew completely. She had seen from the start that Chiasa had forsaken the shadows that had once been her safe haven, in order to make herself a brightly burning target, so that her brother would be safe in her shadow. And her kindness was only buried beneath a wall of iron, not extinguished.

“Tell me, child.” The brunette held Chiasa’s hand tightly as she was situated onto her couch, the old precious nickname a soothing reminder. “How have you been?”

Chiasa relished in the warm embrace of her Shishou, but despite the desire to return to what they had had before, she could not. She was not the same girl that had left Konoha five years ago. She was not the same girl that could trust her Shishou unconditionally. She was not the same girl that could allow herself to lower her walls to let the elder woman in. She could not!

Eventually, she retold hesitantly: “After Sasuke and I left Konoha, we stayed for a while at a secret place. Then, for the next three or four years we simply travelled the Elemental Nations while I kept us alive with a few odd jobs. A year ago, we finally settled down in Uzushio until now.”

It was nothing that the Hokage didn’t already know or at least assumed. Chiasa didn’t tell Asami about their time in the Land of Lighting or the things she had to do high up in the north, there where barely any civilization could survive and only fugitives or mad people stayed.

* * *

It was dark outside when the siblings left the warm house. Asami had offered for them to stay with her, but Chiasa didn’t feel comfortable. Her Shishou was good, was trustworthy, but her gut told her to move … she never ignored her gut and the one time she had, she had lost an entire ANBU team under her leadership.

“She was nice,” muttered Sasuke as they walked along the road leading to the Uchiha compound. “I think she and Kaa-chan were really close.”

Her little brother was shining with happiness, remembering the stories Asami had told him about their Kaa-chan and their other teammate, Kushina. A small voice in his mind wondered why she hadn’t told him the surname of the red-haired kunoichi, but Sasuke was quick to shut it out.

“Hmm.” Chiasa hummed, sharingan eyes once again watching their surroundings cautiously and staring coldly at the people – civilians and shinobi alike – that were still out on the street and eyed them curiously. “If there ever come a time when I’m not here, she will most likely help you.”

All of the sudden, Sasuke stopped, body beginning to tremble and eyes widened in fear. Subconsciously his sharingan flared to live.

“Sasuke.” Chiasa hissed lowly, already putting her strongest genjutsu over her brother’s eyes.

Nobody could know that he had already gained his sharingan, especially now that the Council had tried to interfere in Clan business. Mot only Konoha would be after his eyes, but there were enough enemies outside waiting for a moment of weakness. When she was sure that the genjutsu would not falter and the ANBU on tehri trail hadn’t noticed anything, she forced the upcoming emotions aside, not allowing herself to be affected until Sasuke was alright.

“Sasu,” she whispered softly.

Taking a deep breath, Sasuke shook of the shock, banishing his fear into the furthest corner of his heart.

“I’m okay, Nee-san.”

He averted his eyes from the intimidating gates of the Uchiha compound, never mind that the sight of blood covered streets was burned into his mind for eternity. Fumiko descended carefully on his shoulder, pressing her small face against his cheek and crooning sorrowful.

“Come, Sasu. Let’s …” for a moment Chiasa stumbled over her words, painful memories cutting of her voice. “Let’s go home.”

If the kunoichi had been cautious before, she was now paranoid. The moment they stepped into the compound, she had been thrown back in time, the betrayed screams of her clansmen following her step for step. Soon, the rest of her falcons joined them, orbiting above them protectively, and despite focusing her attention on the scared boy next to her, Chiasa could still feel the wariness of the ANBU following them. Apparently, she was not the only one that felt restless in these walls.

It felt like hours until the siblings stood in front of their childhood home, Sasuke having taking Chiasa’s hand after the first two houses for which she was grateful. Her little brother had lost all colour in his face and she feared that he’d collapse if she didn’t hold him up.

With a strained smile, she led them up the front stairs, hesitantly pushing open the front door and peering inside what had once been her home. At first sight, it was like she had been thrown back in time when her family was still alive, but as she stepped inside she noticed that a few things had been put somewhere else, probably when the genin team had cleaned.

“We’re home.”

Chiasa couldn’t stop herself from uttering the familiar greeting, almost expecting her mother to burst out of the kitchen to hug her after a long mission. It was pathetic.

Biting her lips for slipping up, especially after she felt Sasuke’s breath hitch, she switched on the light. Whoever had cleaned, had done a good job. There were no signs of the tragedy that had taken place in here but Chiasa could still see the dark red blood of her family smeared everywhere. For a short moment she thanked Amaterasu that Sasuke hadn’t awakened his sharingan back then, it was enough that she remembered lively.

“Nee-san,” the raven-haired boy spoke up hesitantly, voice weak and brittle. “Please, don’t … I don’t want to sleep in my room alone… please, don’t make me…”

It broke her heart to hear her brother so afraid.

“Of course not, Sasu. How about we sleep in my room for tonight? And tomorrow we’ll … I’ll figure something out, I promise.”

The relief on Sasuke’s face was blinding. Smiling reassuringly, Chiasa walked to her old room, forcing her breath to stay calm in order to not frighten her brother any more. Itachi hadn’t been in her room that night, so there should be nothing that could trigger Sasuke more than being in the house itself anyway.

“Take the bed, Sasuke. I’ll keep watch and tomorrow we’ll go for breakfast. Do you remember that small café Kaa-chan used to love and bought those delicious bread rolls? How about we go there?”

Chiasa spoke gently, not wanting to overwhelm her brother. However, she didn’t get an answer from the boy, only a strained smile as he slipped under the bedcovers. She didn’t hold it against him, being here exhausted her too.

“Good night, Sasu. Try to sleep.”

Just because she told him to sleep, didn’t mean that she would rest as well. Silently, she sat against her bed, tightening her ANBU cloak around herself. She could deal with another night without sleep.

* * *

Kakashi lay awake in his bed, unable to find sleep. That in itself wouldn’t be unusual, he had had countless sleepless nights after his father’s death, but today the reason was new. For once, it wasn’t the memory of his father’s lifeless body or Obito crushed beneath boulders or his hand in Rin’s chest or Minato-sensei and Kushina laying still next to their new-born son, but a pair of warm onyx eyes that smiled at him tenderly.

Eyes that belonged to soft lips and a thin body with calloused hands that could break the world apart if desired.

Abruptly, Kakashi hastened out of his bed and throwing cold water in his face. Kami, he needed to stop thinking about her! Propped up against the sink he stared into the mirror. Perhaps he could just … it would only be for a moment, a second at most…

Before he could think about what he was doing, he had thrown on a simple black shirt and a pair of baggy trousers and slipped out of his apartment. Sprinting over the roofs towards Chiasa’s chakra signature, he refused to let his brain catch up with his actions.

The Uchiha compound was eerily silent, not a single light anywhere and if not for Chiasa’s bright burning chakra presence and the more hidden one of an ANBU, he’d have thought nobody was there. It was almost laughable easy to bypass the ANBU – a fact that somehow worried him – and find the room the siblings stayed in.

When the Jounin had gathered the courage to glance through the window, he froze at what he saw. What he saw was a young child, crying in the arms of his sister, not his genin student. An innocent but hurt soul, not someone who was expected to kill as soon as possible.

Kami, why did Sasuke remind him so much of his younger self? Of his delirious wish to have someone, anyone really, that would let him cry? That would let him be a child.

Kakashi didn’t know how he had appeared inside that room, whether he had shunshinned or if he had slipped through the window, he only came back to reality when cold, red eyes pierced him.

It was like someone else possessed his body as he held out his hand, for once not clothed in a pair of fingerless gloves, waiting for the ebony-haired woman to take it.

Red eyes suddenly lost their cutting edge, softening to an almost wondering expression as she took his hand.

In the next moment, they stood in front of Kakashi’s apartment.

There was an unreadable expression on Chiasa’s face, as Kakashi opened his home to the siblings once more but for the moment he was more concerned about the grateful look Sasuke threw at him. The boy didn’t even have the strength to scowl that someone other than his sister had seen him cry, too exhausted to do anything other than to fall on the couch he had spent the night before. He was asleep as soon as his head touched the pillow.

Kakashi cleared his throat uncomfortable, unsure how to precede. What should he say? What could he say? Should he apologize for, well, spying on them? Or should he just leave without another word? With each passing second that option felt more and more favourable.

“Thank you, Kakashi.”

Suddenly, Chiasa’s quiet voice echoed through the room, allowing Kakashi to hear the utter exhaustion she felt. And if this wasn’t enough to reassure himself that he had done the right thing, meeting the gaze of onyx eyes was.

“I didn’t know it would hit him that hard. I truly didn’t or I would have never brought him there.”

There was a desperation in her voice as if she needed to defend her actions from him, as if she needed someone to understand. The silver-haired Jounin wondered if Chiasa even knew that what she performed every day, what she sacrificed without flinching, was more than enough.

“But we couldn’t just leave, I didn’t know where else to go!”

Chiasa had talked herself into hysterics, the stress and fear she had pushed away again and again finally breaking through. Hastily, she pushed a few loose strands of hair behind her ear as she paced distraught when all of the sudden, arms wrapped around her body, pressing her against another human body.

“It’s okay.”

Kakashi didn’t know what to do as he watched the strong Uchiha break apart. He was not someone who could comfort others! A blurry memory of Kushina embracing him whenever he allowed her - an experience he could count on one hand – crossed his mind and as before, his body moved without a conscious command.

He felt his breath shutter as he felt the warmth of another human against himself and inhaled the sweet scent of freshly planted gladiolus almost greedily. Slowly, he placed his hand on the back of her head, giving Chiasa the chance to pull away at any moment, but when he felt her lean against him, he hesitantly pressed her head into his chest, stroking the velvety hair delicately.

Chiasa didn’t know why she relaxed into the embrace of the Hatake, didn’t know why she allowed herself to be weak in front of him, but after years of pretending to be strong and indestructible, her body betrayed her and slouched against the Jounin.

She didn’t know how long they stood like this until the low crooning of her trusted partner caused them to abruptly jump apart. Blushing, her eyes skidded around the room desperately trying to find something to fill the awkward silence.

It was Kakashi that broke the silence, though his question unknowingly ignited an old anger again.

“You know,” the Jounin said quietly, hands in his pockets and an almost disinterested expression on his face. “Sasuke said the Council tried to force you to … restore your clan and then he went on and on about how that had been the rudest thing ever. What’s up with that?”

Finally, Chiasa’s eyes settled on the silver-haired Jounin, the awkwardness replaced by unbending and relentless fury.

“I… The Uchiha, we love differently than the other clans. I’m not saying that they love any less than we do, but for us we only have one true love. When we love, we love eternally, unconditionally and beyond logic or reason. We love so deeply that it hurts to just think about it. It’s not rare for us to descend into madness if something happens to our lover and because of that, we try to distance us from others. We try to project that image of being emotionless and arrogant because when we fall, we fall hard. Konoha never saw how we loved because we didn’t allow them to see.”

Kakashi could see it in her eyes, that Chiasa wanted him to understand. That she needed someone to listen and allow her to talk about her family without judgement. And honestly, her words opened a whole new perspective of the Uchiha clan.

“Arranged marriages are nothing new, but there has never been a single one in the Uchiha clan. We have always married for love and if we didn’t find it, we accepted that our line would end. That’s something that we children were taught from the beginning. Marrying for benefits, be it money or status or something else, was seen as mockery and betrayal to the clan. For the Council to demand me to carry the children of someone I don’t love is … it’s an insult like no other! It’s a slander! A disgrace to my clan! If they had uttered the same proposal when my family was still alive … we would have a civil war on our hands. I know that it will take centuries until the Uchiha clan returns to his previous size, if we ever do, and I’ve accepted that our line could end with me and Sasuke.”

He let the new information sink in, his thoughts unwillingly wandering to Obito and what he had felt for Rin. Had Rin been that one love for Obito? A shiver ran down his spin as the memory of a still beating heart in his hand crossed his mind and he quickly closed his eyes, afraid that the Uchiha would see the sorrow and endless pain in them.

“Thank you for explaining,” he said quietly. “I’ll let you go to sleep now.”

“Goodnight, Kakashi.”

A faint smile marred her face as she turned away from him and settled on the floor next to her brother’s sleeping form.

That night, Chiasa slept restless, haunted by memories of a long-gone time.

* * *

When she awoke the next morning, Kakashi’s chakra signature was gone from the apartment and she sighed quietly.

“Sasu,” she whispered and shook her brother gently. “We need to go to your survival exercise. Hatake is already gone.”

After a quick breakfast – she wasn’t stupid enough to go into a fight without having eaten and neither was Sasuke – and leaving some money behind to pay for the things they had used, the siblings found themselves waiting at Training ground three with Naruto and Sakura, both of them seemingly having followed Kakashi’s instructions.

Three hours later and still no silver-haired Jounin in sight, Chiasa’s patience snapped. She didn’t know what the man was thinking but she didn’t have time for these games. Not when she knew what things awaited the genin outside of Konoha’s walls.

“How about we go over your weapons and then warm a bit, so you’re ready when Hatake finally arrives?”

All of the sudden, she was surrounded by three excited genin with sparkling eyes and she let out a low laugh.

“Let’s start with you, Sakura. Show me what you’ve got,” encouraged Chiasa the shy girl.

With rosy cheeks, the pinknette emptied her small weapons pouch, watching nervously as the ebony-haired kunoichi looked over her kunai and shuriken carefully.

Meanwhile, Chiasa was trying not to strangle the Academy teachers for being, apparently, so useless as to not teach their students how to pack a weapons pouch properly. A handful of dull shuriken and a meagre ten kunai would not save the young kunoichi. Neither would a single bandage!

“Sakura, dear, I’m not your sensei but as a fellow kunoichi I beg you,” she looked the girl directly in the eyes, hoping to make her see the direness of her situation before it was too late. “go shopping. Get a kunai sharpener ASAP and for kami’s sake, get a bigger weapons pouch! The things that you have now won’t do you or your teammates any good in a real battle! Talk to Hatake and ask him if he can show you what you need. Let him give you a list and then buy those things from a real shinobi shop, okay? It might seem a bit much for the beginning, but I promise you, you won’t regret it.”

Sakura had listened attentively, frowning as she wiped out a little notebook and quickly wrote down the kunoichi’s advice. Iruka-sensei had never found a fault in her weapons but if Chiasa-san thought she needed to increase them; she’d trust the word of the kunoichi.

“I will, Chiasa-san. Thank you,” she thanked her, happy that she had learned something new.

“You’re welcome. Now, let’s see yours, Naruto.”

The Uchiha hoped that at least Naruto would be more prepared and that the Hokage had looked after his charge. Her hope was quickly shattered when the blond pulled out a handful of kunai and shuriken from his jumpsuit – a thing that needed to go as soon as possible, even if Chiasa would have to secretly burn it.

She tried not to think about the downtrodden and almost fearful expression in Naruto’s eyes as she picked up one of the kunai, pressing the blade along a finger. When only an angry red line appeared and even a bit of metal splintered from the kunai, she bit her tongue to prevent herself from viciously lashing out.

“Naruto, dear.” Azure blue eyes stared up at her as if he was afraid, she’d scream at him.

“I look after them, I swear, Chiasa-nee! I’m really careful, dattebayo!”

Her hand settled calmingly on his shoulder, lips pulled into a reassuring smile despite there being a coldness in her eyes, so sharp that it could cut like a knife.

“I’m not blaming you, Naruto. I just need you to know that proper weapons are more important than games. How much pocket money do you get from the orphanage? I can help you make a finance plan if you want.”

Pushing his hands into his pockets, Naruto averted his eyes, not wanting to see the disgust in the kunoichi’s eyes when she found out.

“’m not living in the orphanage anymore,” he muttered. “Jiji gives me a monthly allowance but most is spent on food, dattebayo.”

The number the blond almost whispered in her ear, made Chiasa burn with fury. Kami, she knew she hadn’t listened for information about the blond, the pain of not knowing easier than knowing and unable to do anything, but she hadn’t even known that he lived alone, and from what she had gathered for years now. And what the hell was the Hokage thinking?! The amount of money Naruto received monthly would never be enough to live comfortably! Didn’t the man let Naruto use his parent’s finances? Minato and Kushina-oba-chan’s heritage should be enough for the boy to live without worry and without having ever to work!

Without thinking, she pulled the blond into her arms.

Naruto tensed in her embrace, disbelieving that someone would want to touch him. But when the ebony-haired woman didn’t let go of him, he allowed himself to relax. He’d take that moment of feeling cared for even if it wouldn’t last.

“You know what, Naruto? How about we all go shopping after Hatake ends your training today?” she asked him, glancing at the other two children.

Sakura seemed to be happy with that and Sasuke too, didn’t appear bothered. Though, her little brother outright glared at the discarded weapons of the blond.

“But I don’t get money until the next month,” mumbled the blond reluctantly.

“Silly boy. I’ll pay for your expenses and if you’re uncomfortable with that you can pay me back over time.”

Not that Chiasa would ever accept money from Naruto. She owed her oba-san so much, the least she could do was to look after her legacy. And now that the Hokage – she refrained from thinking too much about the man least she’d do something stupid like setting the Hokage Tower on fire – had basically handed her the blond on a silver plate, nothing and no one could stop her from caring.

Before Naruto had the chance to protest, a silver-haired Jounin appeared at the training ground, eye fixated on the pages of the orange book in his hand.

“Good morning!” greeted Kakashi his genin team exuberantly, avoiding looking at the ebony-haired kunoichi.

“You’re late!” shouted both, Naruto and Sakura, angrily.

“Ma,” Kakashi waved his hand aloof. “It seems as if you had a good time with Hime anyway. Let’s begin with the test.”

As Kakashi explained the survival exercise, Chiasa sat down at the other end of the training ground and out of the way of the genin. She couldn’t intervene even if her entire being screamed to protect the children.

“I’ve set this alarm to go off at noon. I have two small bells.” Kakashi held up two silver bells as he spoke in a bored voice. “Your challenge is to steal these from me before the timer sounds. Anyone who fails doesn’t get any lunch. Instead, you will be tied to that tree stump, so I can eat your lunch in front of you.”

At the mention of food, Sakura’s and Naruto’s stomach growled, whereas Sasuke scowled unimpressed at his sensei. It was weird to see the man that had seen him cry so aloof and careless, when he had been so different during their travel together.

“All you need is just one bell, but since there aren’t enough to go around, one of you is definitely headed for the stump. And whoever that is will be the first of you to fail. One of you is on your way back to school … and disgrace.”

Abruptly, the genin tensed and stood a little taller. Disgrace… A word that haunted them with every step and Kakashi had exploited their weak point mercilessly. Thoughtfully, Chiasa bit her lip whilst petting Fumiko. She didn’t like the way Kakashi played them against each other nor did she like the grim expression in the genin eyes. Competition and rivalry were good to a certain extent but if it wasn’t carefully monitored it could backfire. She calmed herself with the thought that Kakashi knew what he did.

“You may, if you choose, use shuriken. Attack as though you mean to kill, or you’ll never stand a chance. We’ll start at my signal.”

Immediately, Naruto pounced at the silver-haired Jounin, a fierce scowl on his face, though he quickly found himself at the other hand of his own kunai.

“Not so fast. I didn’t say “Go”. But at least you struck to kill, so, it seems you’ve begun to respect me. And now… ready… steady… go!!”

What followed could only be described as disaster and Chiasa later wondered, how the Academy could have dropped to such standards.

When Kakashi had given the signal, Sasuke and Sakura had hidden themselves whereas Naruto stayed where he was, shouting loudly as he fought the Hatake. The blond was loud, brash and had no sense of self-preservation. His usage of kunai and shuriken were tolerable at best and there was no sense of direction in his taijutsu. However, Chiasa was impressed at the resilience and stamina of the boy and his incredible use of shadow clones. It just didn’t make sense, how someone who clearly mastered a high ranking jutsu was so completely inept when it came to the basics.

Never mind, that his teammates didn’t come to help the blond. The Uchiha was certainly disappointed in her younger brother, though she could understand the desire to learn more about the enemy. She had thought she had taught him better than letting the blond suffer alone.

The next miserable disappointment had been Sakura. From what Chiasa had gathered, the pinknette was smart and top of her class. With that intelligence she had thought the girl would realise that she was caught in a low level genjutsu and not faint almost immediately. She didn’t even try to engage the Hatake, even though Chiasa could clearly see the beginning of not so feminine muscles that built up after years of fighting.

When it came to Sasuke, Chiasa knew she was harsher than to the other children. Cuddling her brother would only end in him becoming arrogant and careless. She noticed immediately the moment Sasuke’s patience snapped. Until then, he had done well to keep Kakashi busy, except a few sloppy mistakes in his taijutsu that she’d talk about later. But when he snapped, Kakashi easily caught him in an earth jutsu – one that Chiasa had warned her brother over and over again – and was done for.

By the time the genin had gotten together, realising that they would have a better chance against Kakashi if they fought side by side, the alarm rung, ending the exercise and Naruto was tied to a tree stump.

Crossing his arm, Kakashi surveyed his students distantly.

“Oh, my. Listen to all the little stomachs growl. By the way, you three I have an announcement about this exercise. None of you need to worry any more about being sent back to the Academy.”

Chiasa would have thought of herself as a useless teacher if Sasuke had lost his suspicion like the other two.

“This rocks!” shouted Naruto excited. “It means all three of us –”

Kakashi smiled, eye closed and ended Naruto’s sentence with: “- are hopeless. More schooling would be pointless. Give up, none of you will ever be shinobi!

“What do you mean give up?!” screamed Naruto aghast. “Give me a break! Okay, so maybe none of us got our hands on one of your stupid bells but why the heck should we quit over that?”

Sasuke glanced over to where his sister sat in the shadow of a tree. He couldn’t believe that he had failed her! His sister did everything for him, so why couldn’t he do one thing to make her proud?!

“Because not one of you has what it takes!”

Growling, Sasuke lunged at the Jounin, wanting to show the man that Chiasa hadn’t wasted her time on him, when in a flash he was pinned to the ground with said shinobi on top of him.

“What you are is a trio of spoiled brats,” said Kakashi sharply, not caring how he hurt his students.

The moment Kakashi had touched Sasuke, Chiasa had been up ready to attack, but she held herself back. This was still training, she told herself. If Kakashi made one wrong move she would be there to intervene.

“Don’t step on Sasuke!”

“Get off of him!”

Apparently, there was at least a little bit of team spirit in the children.

“Are you trying to make fun of the shinobi with your behaviour?” growled the silver-haired shinobi, glaring sternly at his genin. “Well, are you? Did you even stop to wonder for one minute why you were divided into teams?”

The confused expression of the children was almost physically painful, and Chiasa felt for the Hatake as he muttered disbelieving: “…I don’t believe this.”

“It’s teamwork!” The man almost growled at the obvious ignorance of his charges. “If the three of you had come at me together, you might have been able to take the bells.

“If we were expected to function as a team, why did you only have two bells?” asked Sakura confused. “Even if we’d worked together, one of us still would have had to go without lunch. You’re preaching teamwork, but you played us against each other!”

With the look on Kakashi’s face, Chiasa guessed he was just as exasperated as she was. Perhaps, she had made a mistake with assuming that Sakura had been top of her class. The girl had potential, she saw it clearly beneath that useless cover of a civilian, but she wondered if Sakura would try to use it.

“Of course. This task was designed to cause dissension in your ranks,” explained Kakashi. “The situation was set up to reveal which of you would set aside your individual interests and propose to the others that you work together for the good of all. Instead of which you, Sakura, ignored Naruto, who was right in front of you while you focused your attention on Sasuke, though you didn’t know where he was. Naruto tried to do singlehandedly what should have been the work of all three! And Sasuke had already decided that the other two just got in his way and was better off playing solo. You are a team! Learn to act as one! Yes, it’s necessary for ninja to have individual skills, but what is even more important is teamwork! Making a play as an individual is bad for the team and exposes your comrades to unnecessary danger. You might as well kill them yourself. Here’s an example. Sakura! Kill Naruto or Sasuke dies.”

The moment Kakashi’s kunai touched Sasuke’s neck it was intercepted by another blade and the Hatake was flung across the training ground.

Chiasa trusted the silver-haired Jounin enough to let her brother sleep in his house and to deactivate her sharingan around him, but when she saw the silver metal near her brother’s neck so snapped.

Kakashi caught himself before he touched the ground and stared perplexed into bloodred eyes. Realization hit him a second before Chiasa and he quickly put his weapon away. For a moment he had forgotten how protective the Uchiha was of her brother and the situation must have reminded her of something.

Awkwardly, Chiasa played with a strand of her hair, muttering a quiet: “Sorry.” before stepping aside to let Kakashi continue his lecture.

Clearing his throat, Kakashi walked back to his stunned students.

“What I wanted to show you, was that the day could come when one of you may be taken hostage, and you’re forced to make such a choice. When you are on a mission, your lives will always be on the line.”

He motioned to the memorial at the other end of the field.

“Look at the marker… all the names carved in the stone. Heroes of our village.”

Chiasa wished dearly to forget that Naruto ever shouted determined: “That’s it! I just made up my mind! There’s where I want my name to go! I’m not going to throw my life away! I want to be like them – a hero!”

“But the ones listed there aren’t just any heroes,” said Kakashi, glancing back at the naïve blond.

“Really? What kind of heroes are they?”

“The dead kind. They died in the line of duty.”

The moment of realisation was visible on all the faces of the genin and Chiasa wanted to scoop them up to give them the strength they needed but it seemed as if Kakashi was determined to cut even deeper.

“This is a memorial. It includes the name of my best friend. Pay attention! I’m giving you all one last chance. One that will be far more difficult than our last little game with the bells. If you’re prepared to continue, you may eat one of the bento boxes. But no sharing with Naruto. He goes hungry. If either of you feed him, you fail the test right there. My word is law. Do you understand?”

The look he threw at Chiasa was a warning to stay out of it, something he didn’t need to tell her. Sasuke would have to pass through his own merits, she would only intervene when his life was in danger.

The second Kakashi disappeared, Sasuke grabbed one of the bento boxes and sat in front of Naruto holding the food to his mouth.

“Sasuke?” wondered Sakura nervously while Naruto stubbornly avoided to look at the food or Sasuke.

“I’m not stupid, even if I forgot everything, I’ve learned earlier. Sensei is probably miles away by now and we’ll all need our strength if we’re going to work together to get those bells. And while we’re at it, we should make a plan.”

After a moment of consideration, Sakura pushed her bento box to Naruto as well and they alternated between feeding the blond.

A while later, Kakashi reappeared, glaring at the genin furiously.

“YOU…” suddenly he gave them a closed-eyed smile. “pass!”

“Eh?”

“We pass?” Sakura looked so confused that Chiasa had almost pity with the girl. “But why?!”

“You three have just taken a giant step forward. Up until now, all any of you have done is listen unquestioningly to everything I say like mindless, little drones.” All of the sudden, Kakashi’s voice dropped and his hair shadowed his eyes. “A shinobi seeks for the hidden meanings within the hidden meanings. In the ninja world, those who violate the rules and fail to follow orders are considered scum. However, those who do not care for and support their teammates are even lower than that!”

Then the moment was over and Kakashi cheerfully stated: “This exercise is now concluded. You all pass! That’s all for today, Team 7. Your duties will commence tomorrow.”

He was gone before anyone had the chance to say something.

Smiling, Chiasa cut the laughing blond free, despite feeling unsettled that Hatake had simply left. She didn’t like that he wasted an entire afternoon nor that he had given the genin any directions. Though, it was only his second day, so she figured he’d do that tomorrow.

“Congratulations, Team 7.”


	7. Chapter 6

**_Time skip 1 week_ **

Chiasa watched the genin on their D-rank mission deprecatingly. Her brows were furrowed, and a deep scowl marred her fare skin as she bit her lip. She had watched Hatake Kakashi and his genin team for a week now and what she had seen was … disappointing. It was incomprehensible for her, how the same man that had allowed her and Sasuke to stay in his home for a week now, could be so careless and distant to a group of children that were his responsibility. At first, she had thought he simply needed to warm up to them, but it appeared as if he didn’t even try!

If not for her, Naruto would probably still have rubbish weapons and Sakura would still wear that bothersome dress.

**_Flashback_ **

_Kakashi was gone before anyone had the chance to ask him to join them for shopping, but Chiasa didn’t want to wait another day before the genin got proper weapons and clothing. The probability of a surprise attack on Konoha in the next twenty-four hours was minimalistic at best but she wouldn’t be able to sleep knowing that she had left them poorly protected._

_“Well, I guess we have to go without Hatake,” she told the genin lightly. “Sakura-chan, do we need to stop at your house first?”_

_The pinknette looked up to her, relieve visible on her face. She had doubted that Chiasa-san would still be willing to waste time on her when even their sensei didn’t want to, but apparently, she had been wrong._

_“Yes, please. I just need to tell Kaa-chan that I’ll be out for a bit longer and ask for some money. It won’t take long!”_

_The ebony-haired kunoichi laughed, eyes glittering with amusement._

_“Don’t worry, Sakura,” she reassured the girl. “We have all the time that we need. There’s no reason to rush.”_

_The four had then walked to Sakura’s home and Chiasa witnessed for the first time just how despicable the villagers of Konoha could be._

_“Naruto be a dear and walk in front of me,” she told the blond after another idiot thought it to be okay to curse at the child._

_“It’s okay, Chiasa-nee!”_

_Naruto avoided her eyes as he spoke, uncomfortable with the entire situation when suddenly Sasuke nudged his shoulder and pushed him in front of the kunoichi._

_“Don’t be an idiot! Nee-san knows what she’s doing,” he whispered to the blond, whilst glaring at the villagers._

_When the three children were in front of her and Fumiko had ascended into the air, Chiasa let her chakra free, cloaking Team 7 in it as she walked behind them like a silent guardian. From then on, the only reaction they received was silent glares as the villagers feared to be exposed to burning red eyes._

_Thankfully, Sakura’s parents were a bit nicer than the rest of the villagers, only glancing warily at Naruto but not saying anything or throwing him out whilst Sakura hastened to get her purse._

_Afterwards, they walked towards the village centre and to a shinobi shop that Chiasa knew from before. The owner was an old acquaintance of Kushina’ and so should treat the blond properly. At least, she hoped he would._

_Ignoring the vicious glares, they received Chiasa ushered the children into the shop, closing the door behind them more forcible than entirely necessary. Inside, she took a deep breath before she would snap._

_“Good afternoon! How can I – Chiasa-san?!”_

_Turning around, Chiasa took notice of the dak-haired shop owner, who gawked at her as if she was a ghost._

_“Kami, I heard rumours that you were back, but I never thought they were true!” the old man gushed and walked hastily towards the kunoichi to get a better look of her._

_Seeing the joy in the man’s eyes, Chiasa forced herself to smile faintly and wave slightly._

_“Hello, Eiichi-san. I guess the rumours are true.”_

_“By Kami, you’ve grown up so much from the last time I saw you. Did anyone tell you that you look_ _just like your mother? Oh, I’m so sorry about your loss, Chiasa-san. Who would have thought that Itachi-san could snap like that!”_

_The Uchiha suddenly realised what she had forgotten; Eiichi-san lived for gossip and could barely stop talking once he started._

_“Thank you. As much as I would like to catch up with you, Eiichi-san, I’m here for business.”_

_She pointed at the three children that had been quiet so far and only surveyed the shop owner suspiciously. Sasuke and Sakura had chosen to stay on either of Naruto’s sides shielding him from vicious glares; whether it was a conscious decision or not Chiasa was proud of them._

_“Ah, you have a genin team? Is that why you’ve returned?”_

_“I’m afraid not. Team 7 is Hatake’s team, I’m only hear because of my little brother. I’m sure, you’ve realised that what the kids are wearing isn’t suitable for a genin in anyway, so I thought we’d come to you.”_

_Eiichi surveyed the genin critically, trying not to grimace as his eyes settled on a young blond boy. So Uzumaki Naruto had managed to graduate and from what he had gathered, was the teammate of Chiasa’s little brother, Uchiha Sasuke if he remembered right. The pink-haired girl was unknown to him, though he believed to have seen her with the Yamanaka heiress a few times._

_Never mind that, the clothes the genin wore were abysmal and he understood why the kunoichi had come to him. Glancing back at the Uchiha, he concluded that the woman could use_ _some new clothing as well._

_“I see. Well then, let’s get started. Who wants to go first?” he asked, walking to the front and turning the shield on the door to closed. He’d get them properly fitted without anyone interrupting._

_“How about we start with you, Sakura?” offered Chiasa encouraging as the girl fiddled with her hands nervously._

_It didn’t take long to get the children equipped with the necessary clothing and soon all three wore an outfit similar to Konoha’s Jounin outfit without the flak jacket. Naruto’s black sleeveless shirt had a_ _few oranges ornaments and Sakura wore a tightfitting dark red top instead of the long-sleeve black shirt. Meanwhile Sasuke had opted for a simple dak blue shirt on which the Uchiha emblem would be added later on. They all had chosen simple ninja sandals and used bandages to keep the baggy trousers from being a hindrance._

_After they all had enough clothing to go through a week, Chiasa and Eiichi guided the attention of the young genin to the weapons section of the shop._

_Whilst Eiichi explained the best way of keeping one’s weapons sharp and in best condition, Chiasa wandered away in search of clothes for herself. The one’s she wore now and had bought in the small village in Whirlpool country were not suitable for being a kunoichi fulltime._

_With a look over her shoulder she made sure that her charges were still entranced by Eiichi’s lecture before entering a changing room with her arms full of clothing._

_Differently to the kids, she needed clothes that were not only suitable for fighting but would also show her position as Clan Head, even though she couldn’t care less about it. But if the action of the Council a week ago was any indication, her fights would not only be physical. Her Kaa-chan had once told her that the right dress could be a better defence than any armour._

_Looking into the mirror, Chiasa had to admit that the outfit was perfect for her and not only because it was so very different from what she had worn before._

_The dress only went to the middle of her tights with a slit in the front to allow easy movement and the pale and soft purplish pink colour complimented her light skin tone. The sleeves were baggy and went up to her elbow, where she tied them with a red ribbon. Beneath the dress or large shirt, she wore tightfitting black shorts and over it, a tight leather armour made sure she was protected. On a blue belt hung her blade proudly._

_Differently to the genin, Chiasa had opted for dark ninja boots instead of the ordinary sandals with black socks that went up to the middle of her tights. Bandages on her right leg held the only visible weapons poach, though her knowledge of seals made it possible to hide the most of her weapons on her body. The only indication of her affiliation was her hitai-ate, something that Chiasa liked. Later she would sew the Uchiwa fan on the back of her armour._

_“Nee-san?”_

_Hearing her brother call for her, Chiasa swiftly left the changing room, on her arm another few clothing articles that she’d take._

_“Yes, Sasuke?” she asked, ignoring the stunned looks of her charges and Eiichi-san’s approving one._

_“Eh, Eiichi-san helped us to gather kunai, shuriken, a sharpener, a few packets of explosion seals as well as ninja wire, smoke bombs and a large first aid kit. We wanted to know if we need anything else. He said my blade was good and only needed some sharpening which he would do, if you wanted, but we weren’t sure if Sakura and Naruto needed one too,” explained Sasuke, unable to tear his eyes from his sister that looked so intimidating._

_Thoughtfully, Chiasa looked over the things they had bought up to now, adding a few blood replenishing and chakra pills as well as some emergency ration bars to the piles._

_“I think that’s everything for now.”_

_After paying for everything, they had decided to get something to eat before turning in for the night. As they walked down the street, each of the genin carrying three large bags, Chiasa felt calmer than_ _before. At least now, the children stood a chance and didn’t handicap themselves with faulty weapons._

_If Hatake didn’t teach them some first aid soon, she’d go over the basics with them. There was no sense in having the necessary supplies but not knowing how to handle it and unfortunately, she had lost her trust in the Academy after seeing the abysmal state of the genin’s weapon poaches._

_She had been too caught up in her thoughts – something she’d berate herself later – as to notice the small stones thrown at the blond boy under her supervision sooner._

_“Ow,” hissed Naruto, rubbing his head were the stones had hit but froze mid-movement when Sakura stopped next to him and asked: “Are you okay, Naruto?”_

_A gust of air next to him and the shouting of civilians caused him to look to the side and left him flabbergasted._

_Sasuke had only spared a glance at his blond teammate to ensure that he wasn’t seriously injured, and that Sakura was there, before charging at the disgusting civilian that had thrown the stones._

_The entire day he had to watch wordlessly as words and curses were thrown at his teammate, as he was looked down at like he was the lowest of the low and now his patience snapped._

_It was laughable easy to jump at the man and topple him over. Mercilessly, Sasuke slammed his fist_ in _the nose of the man, uncaring about the blood staining his skin._

_Uzumaki Naruto was his teammate, had – from the actions of his sister – become a part of their close-knitted group and … was his first kiss; he’d not sit down and let Konoha trample all over him. He’d not let them push him like they had pushed his brother to his breaking point._

_Suddenly, he was held up by his collar and pulled back; looking up, he saw his sister’s back standing protectively in front of him and his cowering teammates._

_“He’s a monster! He attacked me! The demon has influenced the last Uchiha!” shouted the man angrily and hold his bleeding nose._

_“Will you shut up?!” snarled Chiasa, sharingan spinning furiously. “You attacked a shinobi of Konoha in front of my eyes, you’re lucky that your nose is the only broken bone you received.”_

_Glaring, the man crawled to his feet._

_“You’re meant to protect us! I’ll hand in a complain to the Hokage about you and that little brat!”_

_“Just try to complain. Do you honestly believe you’ll win against me?”_

_Sufficient to say that the man was speechless and didn’t dare to utter another word when he met the burning eyes of the Uchiha._

_“Spread the word, that if anyone else considers it tolerable to talk bad about Uzumaki Naruto will have to face the Uchiha Clan.”_

_Without another word, Chiasa grabbed the genin and ushered them away. She needed to check Sasuke’s knuckles, least he had injured himself, and then she’d need to talk with Naruto to figure out how long that thing has been going on before she’d break loose a storm at the next Council meeting about child abuse._

**_Flashback End_ **

The incident still ignited a furious anger in her, but she knew that it was only luck that she didn’t get into serious trouble after threatening a civilian openly. However, her threat had proven to be successful since nobody had dared to shout at Naruto again; they didn’t even dare to look into his direction when she was around.

But that was not the only thing that had happened on that day.

**_Flashback_ **

_After having checked the genin over – Naruto’s bruise was already fading and Sasuke only needed a band aid over his knuckles – Chiasa had invited the kids to Ichiraku for dinner._

_They had just sat down and ordered when suddenly, Chiasa flung around and blade met blade._

_The silence was deafening and the tension visible in the air and every shinobi in the shop moved for a weapon when the two kunoichi pulled back their swords._

_“Yugao.”_

_Chiasa’s voice was hesitant, almost as if she was afraid; Sasuke had seen his sister only that nervous a handful of times._

_“Tell me why I shouldn’t slit your throat right now. You’ve left your team behind, you left me behind!”_

_Uzuki Yugao hadn’t believed she’d see the ebony-haired Uchiha ever again, especially after the kunoichi had left her behind without a single word, without a single warning in the middle of an ANBU mission in the Land of Stone. Uchiha Chiasa had been her best friend and she had been betrayed by her. The Hokage could tell as many lies about a long-term mission as he wanted, but Yugao knew it for the deceit it was._

_“I had to,” said Chiasa; eyes focusing on the purple-haired kunoichi, voice unwavering. “You know I did.”_

_Sighing, Yugao threw her arms around the other woman, pulling her into a tight embrace._

_“I’d have come with you, if you’d asked.”_

_“I know,” whispered Chiasa and relaxed into the embrace of her best friend._

_She didn’t have many people she considered herself close to but Uzuki Yugao was one of them. The kunoichi had been one of the reasons she had been afraid of returning to the village. For Yugao loyalty to the village was everything and Chiasa hadn’t been sure how her friend would react to her abandonment of their village._

_“Hello Hayate,” she greeted the brunet shinobi standing_ _behind Yugao._

_“Hey Chiasa. It’s good to have you back.”_

_After hugging the reserved shinobi as well, Chiasa turned back to the genin under her supervision._

_“Yugao, Hayate these are Sasuke’s teammates, Haruno Sakura and Uzumaki Naruto. Guys, these are Uzuki Yugao and Gekko Hayate, my best friends.”_

_Surprisingly, Sasuke had quickly taken a liking to the two Jounin after he figured out that Hayate had been one of Chiasa’s kenjutsu teachers and that Yugao was a skied kenjutsu expert herself. He had swiftly pulled the brunet Jounin into a passionate discussion whilst Naruto and Sakura listened eagerly to the stories the two kunoichi shared._

**_Flashback End_ **

From then on, she had met up with Yugao and Hayate a couple of times over the week – catching up, indulging in the past and even starting to train together again, obviously Sasuke had been there as well. Even though, she could have left him with Kakashi.

In the evening of that day, after she had accompanied Sakura and Naruto home – only barely resisting to set Naruto’s abysmal apartment complex on fire – and leaving a shadow clone henged as a small cat with the children as well as asking one of her falcons to keep watch outside, she and Sasuke had walked through the village aimlessly until Kakashi had picked them up again.

She knew she couldn’t rely on the Hatake to host them forever, a week was already an extraordinary long time, and despite searching every night Chiasa still hadn’t found an apartment that she felt safe in and returning to the Uchiha compound was out of the question.

For the last week she had sent a shadow clone to the clan compound to look through every house, emptying them and sealing every possession she wanted to keep into storage scrolls.

Three shadow clones as well as keeping on her sharingan - except for the few hours she spent inside Kakashi’s apartment - did strain her chakra reserves, even if she didn’t want to admit it. It would have been faster with Sasuke’s help but it was enough that she had to go through the estate of their family and live with the memory of empty, cold houses where there had been warmth and gentle love before. Thankfully, her clone should be done by the end of the day and she’d be able to leave it all behind.

“Nee-san? Are you okay?”

Perplexed, Chiasa glanced at her little brother as the boy stood before her, slightly sweating after a D-rank mission of painting a fence.

“Hmm? Yeah, I’m fine Sasuke,” said Chiasa and patted his dark hair affectingly. “Go with the others, I have something to do before we’ll meet up at Ichiraku, okay? Take Fumiko with you; Hisa and Takeo are already around watching over Naruto and Sakura.”

Sasuke eyed his sister dubiously as she sent him away, disbelieving that she left him alone. Something must really bother her to be so out of it, but he’d take the little freedom he gained gratefully. He loved Chiasa dearly but sometimes he felt like he’d choke under her protectiveness.

“Okay, see you later!”

“I’m surprised you let him go.”

Chiasa spun around, eyes losing the dazed expression from earlier and stared sharply at the man she had to talk to.

“Hatake, we need to talk!” she told him sternly.

Abruptly, Kakashi tensed, eyeing their surroundings warily. During the entire mission Chiasa had been relaxed, almost as if she was in another world, and he had secretly enjoyed the thought that she felt safe with him around.

“I don’t know what’s going on in that head of yours, but you need to stop to keep your genin on arm’s length!”

Realising what the kunoichi was on about, the silver-haired Jounin shut down and forced his emotions back into their icy prison.

“You can’t act like they’d die any moment! They need you! You’re their teacher, Hatake, so start acting like it or you really will have three corpses on your hands, and you’ll be following them quickly when I’m done with you. I know you were an ANBU captain, having a genin team isn’t that different only that you have to explain more things to them. See it like training your personal ANBU team if you have to, but don’t let them float around. You preach teamwork but you don’t show them that you’re part of the team too, because you are, Kakashi! I know how painful it is to care and to lose but you don’t have to. You have the chance to make sure that those three children have the best chances of survival when they encounter an enemy, because they will, Kakashi. They will encounter someone, and we might not be there to protect them so they have to hold on until we do! With every jutsu and with every handy trick you teach them, they can hold on longer. Don’t let fear be the reason you lose them!”

If it had been anyone else, Kakashi would have left he minute they started to speak but he was frozen by Chiasa’s fierce onyx eyes. For once she showed him the eyes that he usually only saw deep in the middle of the night in the safety of his home. He was mesmerized and unknowingly allowed her words to reach him, appealing at something he had considered dead. Compassion.

Nonetheless, he disappeared in a shunshin as soon as the kunoichi was done, unable to withstand her gaze for a minute longer.

Sighing said kunoichi crossed her arms behind her back and turned around. At least, it would be a warm night so it wouldn’t be to harsh to sleep outside after Hatake would inevitably throw them out. Perhaps, they could stay over at Naruto’s for the night, the blond would surely be more than happy.

After a nice dinner and Chiasa forcing herself not to check her little brother over every other minute after the realisation that she had left him alone had hit, she had once again accompanied the genin home before turning towards the Uchiha compound. There was something she wanted to do with Sasuke, now that her shadow clone was done.

But before that, a certain silver-haired Jounin awaited her around a corner.

Clearing his throat and looking around uncomfortably, Kakashi asked quietly: “Can I talk with you for a second, Hime?”

After a quick check, Chiasa sent Sasuke a few steps ahead and nodded wordlessly at the Hatake.

“Listen,” the Jounin took a deep breath, hand itching to whip out his Icha-Icha Paradise but knowing that Chiasa would leave him standing there if he did that. “What you said earlier… I can’t do it…”

When he saw the disbelieving expression in her eyes, he hastily added: “I mean, I can’t do it alone. I know how to act around other Jounin but children … I’m not good with them. I never wanted a genin team to begin with, but Hokage-sama was stubborn to force one on me. What I’m trying to say is,” he nervously went through his air, itching to just shunshin away from the torturing situation. “that I’ll need your help to ensure that the kids survive. I’ve seen how you act around them and I know that you took them shopping and taught them first aid and even some easy stretches and taijutsu moves. You’re great with children! And I-”

“Breathe, Hatake.” Chiasa grasped Kakashi’s arm, stopping him mid-sentence. “I’d be honoured to help you out with Team 7, but don’t try to pawn them on me, okay? They are your team after all, and I won’t be here forever when Hokage-sama starts sending me on missions again.”

A sigh of relief left Kakashi, even though his stomach turned as he thought about Chiasa leaving, and he lost the tension in his posture.

“Thank you,” he told her quietly, pushing his hands back into his pockets when Chiasa let go of him.

“You know,” Chiasa twirled absentmindedly with a strand of dark hair as she and the Jounin walked after Sasuke. “I have a few ideas that I’d like you to hear about the kids. Would you be willing to listen to them tomorrow? There’s still something I and Sasuke have to do today.”

Meanwhile, Kakashi had taken out his Icha-Icha Paradise and flicked through the pages without really reading, attention only on the ebony-haired woman next to him.

“Ma, how about you tell me everything when Sasuke’s asleep?”

He hoped his offer wasn’t too obvious, but the worry that the Uchiha would stay somewhere else for the night wouldn’t leave him. It was … nice to know someone was home when he returned from the memorial stone in the middle of the night.

Chiasa glanced at the Jounin with hidden curiosity. She had thought the Hatake would be glad to get rid of her, especially after today.

“If you’re willing,” she simply replied, not wanting to dig deeper. “Do you want to accompany me and Sasuke?”

She wasn’t sure where that came from, but when she noticed the inquisitive gleam in Kakashi’s eyes she didn’t take it back. It wasn’t like it would be a secret. Soon, the whole of Konoha would witness it.

Wordlessly, Kakashi walked with the Uchiha, his presence enough of an answer.

The two caught up to Sasuke and Fumiko shortly before the deserted Uchiha compound; the raven-haired boy having turned his back to the construction, scowling darkly.

Chiasa squeezed his shoulder understandingly and kneeled to his height.

“I want you to be honest now, Sasuke.”

Kakashi couldn’t stop himself from eavesdropping, her soft voice empathic.

“Hn.”

A faint smirk adored her face as she continued: “Do you want to live in the Uchiha compound again? Now or in the future?”

The question caught Sasuke off guard, not having expect his sister to ask that. He had thought she’d simply wait for him to tell her that he wanted to go back. Considering the question honestly, allowing the memories of his childhood to come forth, he realised something. He had many happy memories of that place; here he had played with Shisui and Itachi and sometimes even Izumi, here his mother had spent time with him, here his father had taught him the fireball jutsu, their entire family had lived behind these walls; but everything was tainted by that one night. He couldn’t really remember the streets without blood, the houses without broken parts, his family without death.

“No,” he admitted quietly, not wanting to see the look in Chiasa’s eyes when she realised how cowardly he was.

“Good.”

Confused, he forgot to avoid her eyes and looked at her, brows furrowed.

Chiasa had still that faint smile without a hint of judgment on her face as she stood up.

“Neither do I,” she admitted sincerely. “My shadow clone has spent the last week with going through every house and gathering every possession of our family, from clothes to heirlooms. Right now, the compound is only a gathering of empty buildings. Our ancestors built that compound and so I’d like to give it an end fitting for the Uchiha clan. I don’t want it to be simply bulldozed and torn down by the village. Do you want to help me?”

For Kakashi the Uchiha spoke in riddles but apparently Sasuke knew what his older sister meant, as his mouth hung open and he stared stunned.

“Nee-san… Are you serious?”

“The Uchiha clan is like a phoenix, we have to die before we can regrow stronger than we ever were.”

Flabbergasted, Sasuke nodded and turned around to eye the compound one last time.

“Are you ready?”

“Yes.”

He didn’t need the buildings to remember his family. If he ever forgot, he had Chiasa by his side to remind him.

“Fire Style: Majestic Destroyer Flame!”

“Fire Style: Fireball!”

Suddenly, a literal sea of flames descended on the abandoned Uchiha clan compound.

His Icha-Icha Paradise dropped out of Kakashi’s hand as the fire grew and grew until he was sure it could be seen far out of Konoha.

It was a matter of seconds until the first ANBU appeared next to him, hands moving for a water jutsu but stopping when he realised who had set the fire. Kakashi clearly felt the confusion of the ANBU but he had only eyes for the two Uchiha illuminated by the light of their fire.

Soon, a crowd of onlookers, shinobi and civilian alike, crowded the scene, though nobody dared to break through the air of indestructibility and power that surrounded the Uchiha siblings.

Sarutobi Hiruzen watched the spectacle from the windows of his office, pipe in his mouth and hands folded in front of him. The kunoichi had changed dramatically over the span of the last years, something that he should have anticipated, but never had he considered that she would set her ancestors home on fire. Uchiha Chiasa was a wild card and he knew deep inside that if the woman ever found out what had caused the annihilation of her clan, the village would burn just like the clan compound. He feared that day.

Watching as one building after the other collapsed under the assault of flames was exhilarating. With every burning part Chiasa felt set free from the shackles of her past! A look at her brother showed that Sasuke felt a similar release.

It was deep into the night when the last building came crashing down and the fire extinguished.

Only then, did the siblings feel ready to leave. Most of the onlookers had left the scene after nothing else happened but one silver-haired Jounin still stood where he had been before, watching them silently, causing a barely noticeable smile on the Uchiha’s face.

Inside of the Hatake’s apartment, Sasuke almost immediately succumbed to a deep sleep leaving the two adults alone.

After a moment of consideration, Kakashi motioned the kunoichi to follow him into his bedroom, least they’d wake up the sleeping boy if they stayed in the living room.

* * *

The first rays of sunshine fell through his window as Kakashi tiredly opened his eyes. Disorganized, he tried to get up and pull down the blinds, when he became suddenly aware of the petite figure cuddled against his chest and his own arms wrapped defensively around the body. The scent of gladiolus filled his nose, and he allowed his eyes to fell close again, returning to the dark bliss and the feeling of contentment.

That he pulled the other person even closer to himself, tangling their feet together, was already lost to him.


	8. Chapter 7

**_Time skip 1 month_ **

It had been a day like any other in the last month, until one sole messenger bird of the Hokage shattered the small peace Chiasa had built for her loved ones and herself.

Careful not to disrupt the spar between Naruto and Sasuke or Sakura’s meticulous practice of one of her new genjutsus, Chiasa wandered over to the silver-haired Jounin analysing the boys attentively.

Hatake Kakashi really had taken the training of his genin team more serious, just like he had promised her. There were still some instances where she had to mediate between the Jounin and the genin, but they were few and far in between. It had come to the point where she could trust the shinobi enough to leave her sharingan deactivated even outside of his apartment.

“Hatake.”

She didn’t need to say more, Kakashi having seen the messenger bird at the same time Chiasa had. Wordlessly, he tilted his head slightly in a silent understanding that he’d accompany the children home after training was over, the unruly silver hair fallen even more into his face than usual.

Kakashi would never admit that he felt unsettled as the ebony-haired kunoichi disappeared without a sound. Rationally, he knew that it had only been a matter of time until Chiasa would be called away for a mission, but with her and the genin around it was easy to give in to the illusion that she was an official part of Team 7 too, it was easy to believe that she wouldn’t leave him.

Banishing those thoughts into the deepest corner of his mind, Kakashi returned to examine his team carefully.

He didn’t want to think of an apartment missing the gentle warmth of a certain kunoichi. Didn’t want to think about not seeing her first thing in the morning. Didn’t want to remember a time where he was alone after a particular gruesome night terror.

 _‘It will turn out okay,’_ he told himself, trying to convince himself that after that disastrous Council meeting a few days ago there wouldn’t be another unwelcomed surprise

**_Flashback_ **

_Kakashi wasn’t entirely sure how he had found himself in this position, when all he had wanted to do was to relax after the training of the little demons that made up his team._

_Looking up from his Icha-Icha Paradise, his lone eye settled on the figure of a certain ebony-haired kunoichi. It was all her fault, really. She shouldn’t have offered him to accompany her and Sasuke to another council meeting – the fourth one in a month – but here he was now. Perched on a chair engraved with the Hatake clan symbol in a room full of arrogant and cunning Clan Heads and Council members, enduring their condescending eyes. And all because he couldn’t say no to onyx-coloured eyes._

_“Now, if there’s nothing else, I’ll conclude this meeting over.”_

_The third Hokage took a drag from his pipe, waiting for anyone to bring up another issue that needed the attention of the Council._

_“I do have an urgent concern that I would like to address,” Chiasa stated, eyes hard and unbending._

_He still felt mesmerized every time the Uchiha opened her mouth, directing the conversation in which ever way she liked. The way she so easily demanded respect without having to threaten_ someone but _simply because she held herself like it was her right, like it would be a sacrilege to treat her any differently._

_“I am aware that it is long overdue and my only excuse is that I had other matters on my mind, but now that I and my brother have settled into the village once more”- Kakashi probably was the only one that knew that Chiasa was lying with a straight face, the Uchiha having done anything but settle back into Konoha; not if you considered the fact that she still left her sharingan activated outside of his apartment – “I would like to pay my respect to my fallen family. I would not have made this a matter of the Council if I had been able to locate the graves of my kin but sadly I can not. As Head of the Uchiha Clan, bear in mind one of Konoha’s founding clans, I humbly ask to know the location of my fallen kin. As many of you understand, my clan’s doujutsu is our legacy, it’s ours to protect and care for, and I am unsettled about my lack of knowledge of its whereabouts. From my understanding, Hokage-sama, you supervised the burial of my clan whilst I was away.”_

_Kakashi glanced at the raven-haired boy, standing silently behind his sisters’ seat, dark eyes full of suspicion and suppressed anger. It was an accomplish on its own, that Chiasa had managed to bring Sasuke to every council meeting, though, knowing the Uchiha she would have simply not attended it and the Hokage was well aware what message that would have given the other Clan Heads._

_His attention was caught by the worried exchange of Nara Shikaku and the Hokage as well as the deepening scowl of Shimura Danzo. He wondered if they seriously had believed Chiasa wouldn’t ask about her fallen clan. He only knew bits and pieces, having not partaken in any council meetings since his father’s death, content to let the Hatake Clan fade, but what he knew was worrying._

_“I believe that is a matter to be discussed at another time, Chiasa.”_

_Inwardly, Kakashi shook his head exasperatedly. Did his Hokage not realise that his patronizing behaviour towards the kunoichi only promised backlash?_

_A smirk marred her face and Kakashi felt a shiver at the predatory gleam in her dark eyes._

_“Perhaps, I was not very clear, Hokage-sama. For a month I have searched through Konoha, but nowhere was even a hint of a grave for my family. I believe it is in the favour of every Clan that harbours a doujutsu or kekkei genkai to know that their legacy is safe and well protected behind the walls of the village.”_

_“Uchiha-sama stands correct,” Hyuuga Hiashi spoke up, the displeasure of having to agree with an Uchiha plainly on his face. However, after the incident a few years back, his clan was especially careful about their doujutsu._

_Hiruzen took a long drag from his pipe before setting it down, steeling himself for what was to come. Chiasa would tear him apart until there was nothing left._

_“I am afraid, Chiasa, you won’t be satisfied with the answer I can give you,” he told her slowly, letting the seriousness of the situation sink in, in a foolish hope that the kunoichi would let the topic drop or, at the very least, send her brother outside_.

_Meanwhile, Kakashi had put his book away, focusing solely on the Uchiha siblings._

_“I will be the judge of that.”_

_Chiasa didn’t glance back at her brother, pulling the attention of everyone on herself and allowing Sasuke to fade to the background as a silent watcher._

_Stroking his beard, Hiruzen explained carefully: “You weren’t able to find a grave for your family because there isn’t one.”_

_Kakashi himself felt annoyed at this confession, if only for Obito. But it was nothing compared to the unbending hatred in his student’s eyes. Though, Chiasa kept her polite, distant mask; not allowing anyone to see what she felt in that moment._

_“And why is that?”_

_“We thought it more fitting to burn the bodies and scatter the ashes over your clan land. Afterwards, resources were short, and we didn’t have the money to erect a memorial worthy of the Uchiha clan.”_

_Only years of practice allowed Kakashi to sit unaffected as a biting coldness filled the room. Chiasa had leaned back, folding her hands in front of her. Perhaps, she needed it to ground herself or perhaps, Kakashi was reading too much into the situation, either way the tension in the room was palpable._

_“I see. In that case, I must have missed the section in Konoha’s constitution and legislation that covered the burial of a clan. I assume, you have good reason to believe that the wide space in the shinobi graveyard will be needed in the close future and could therefore not be used for the members of the founding clan of Konoha.”_

_And with that, the kunoichi was done._

_As soon as the Hokage called the meeting over, she strode out of the room, Sasuke close next to her. If Kakashi had torn his eyes from the siblings even once, perhaps he would have noticed the scheming look in Danzo’s eyes._

_After that meeting, Chiasa and Sasuke had returned to their clan land where Kakashi had left them alone._

_Later, the siblings had returned to his apartment, covered in ash and mud but a look in their eyes that spoke of closure, of the beginning of healing._

**_Flashback End_ **

* * *

Chiasa didn’t return until late into the night when Sasuke was already deep asleep. The boy had waited hours for her return, obviously worried when only Fumiko returned to him. But there was a time when exhaustion caught up to him and he fell into a deep sleep.

However, Kakashi had stayed awake, not wanting to miss the kunoichi. He knew how hard it was for Chiasa to stay away from her brother, even more so during the night. For her not to return as soon as possible, something must have happened.

When a body flung itself through his window, he put down his book, his lone sharingan eye meeting a pair of drained sharingan. Chiasa appeared … exhausted.

“Hime?” he wondered quietly, pulling his hitai-ate back over his sharingan now that Chiasa was back.

“Kakashi,” she breathed his name and let herself fall into the seat opposite to him.

Wordlessly, Kakashi stood up, rummaging through his cupboards quietly, as to not wake the sleeping boy in the living room, until he found what he had been searching for.

A plate of pretty sakura mochi were put in front of Chiasa and the kunoichi looked gratefully at the Jounin, who had one day simply started to buy her favourite sweet whenever he went grocery shopping.

The sweetness of the snack filled her, and she felt herself relax.

“I have a mission tomorrow,” she suddenly said, eyes moving from the snack to Kakashi and staying there.

It made the silver-haired Jounin feel strange to have those onyx orbs solely focused on him.

“A-rank, potential to turn S-rank. Assassination of an estranged cousin of the Fire Daimyo. In the Land of Lightning. Approximate duration: 2 to 3 weeks.”

His thoughts were racing as he took in the information seamlessly, the weight of it settling heavy in his gut.

Chiasa would be away for three weeks.

Three weeks he’d be alone with his genin team, three weeks he’d have to care for and train the children, three weeks he’d return to his empty apartment, three weeks without Uchiha Chiasa.

Carefully, he asked: “What about Sasuke?”

Her brother’s name elicited a barely audible whimper from the kunoichi and all of the sudden, the realisation was like a slap in the face.

Chiasa was not wary of Konoha. She was not angry. Behind the coldness, the wariness, the suspicion, the anger and the fury, which she wielded like a weapon aimed to kill, laid a scared child that had lost her entire world in one night.

Uchiha Chiasa; firstborn daughter of Uchiha Fugaku and Uchiha Mikoto, Clan Head of the Uchiha, last Uchiha Hime, ANBU assassin and Jounin of Konoha; was terribly and utterly afraid to lose her last remaining family.

Desperately, she grasped his hand, holding it tightly.

“Promise me, Kakashi,” she demanded quavering. “Promise me to look after him. I beg you, let him stay with you. Watch over him. I’ll be back as fast as I can and I’ll pay you whatever you want, but please! I… Out of everyone in the village, I believe he is safest with you.”

Kakashi was unsure how to proceed, but the last time he had simply hugged her and Chiasa had relaxed into his arms, so he decided to try it again.

The very subtle scent of gladiolus invaded his nose as he gently pressed the weary kunoichi to his chest and memories of the last time he was so close to the woman flashed before his inner eye.

**_Flashback_ **

_It was rare to watch Chiasa train, most of the time she’d be gone during the night when she was certain that Sasuke was deep asleep and Fumiko and, nowadays, Kakashi was there to supervise him. But today, Asami had offered to host a sleepover for Team 7 and after a lot of prodding and begging from the kids, Chiasa had consented._

_Afterwards, she had left straight for the training grounds, in an attempt to build up stress and paranoia. Kakashi had silently followed her, whether it was because he was simply bored or because he was strangely worried about the kunoichi, he didn’t know._

_He did not regret following as he watched the Uchiha go through katas like it was a dance - a beautiful and deadly dance. Nor did he regret it as fire and wind surrounded her, illuminating her in the darkness and letting her onyx eyes shine._

_Watching the Uchiha was like watching a falcon in its natural habitat; free, unbending, a force of nature._

_Unexpectantly, Chiasa halted and beckoned him over. Soon, the two Jounin were engaged in a heated spar and fire and lightning soared unhindered through the air._

_Then - Kakashi had just deflected a fireball and Chiasa flung herself straight at him – a pained grimace crossed her face and she dropped mid-fly. Kakashi reacted instinctively as he snatched her out of the air and let himself drop to the ground, allowing the kunoichi to land on him._

_A subtle floral scent filled his nose and suddenly he was so close to sparkling onyx orbs that he could count every single soft, full eyelash. Wisps of dark hair invaded his vision, tickling the small patch of free skin on his face and his fingers gingerly tucked them behind her ear, caressing her rosy cheek in the same movement. There was something in her eyes that he couldn’t describe._

_The moment was broken as she flinched, another distressed grimace marring her face._

_The question almost left his lips, but Chiasa came him before, whispering pained: “Just a headache, I’m fine.”_

_Kakashi didn’t believe her._

**_Flashback End_ **

He couldn’t promise her. There was not a single promise he had been able to keep in his life and the thought of disappointing her, of having disenchanted eyes in the colour of a starless night settled on him, somehow was unbearable. It was just another thought that he forced into a box never to be opened again.

But he could lift one of her worries.

“You and Sasuke,” there was a part in him that detested his next words, believing that he let the Uchiha too close too fast and that he’d be the cause of another death, because no matter what everyone said, he did carry a curse or why would everyone he loved die? “you can stay here for as long as you want.”

There was a small room that he used for supplies and stuff but perhaps it was time to clean it out. It would be smaller than usual, but it would be far better than a couch in the living room and Chiasa… When a thought of a new apartment, perhaps even a cute little house, flitted through his mind, Kakashi sternly stopped.

Kakashi was not the only one affected by the sudden closeness. Closing her eyes, Chiasa let her head rest against Kakashi’s chest, listening to his erratic heartbeat matching to her own.

It was an incredible feeling to have someone to lean on. Someone who allowed her to stumble and take a breather when she needed a break from the constant fight that her life had become. Someone who she was positive could match her in strength. Someone she could call a friend. Because that’s what Hatake Kakashi had become to her. A friend.

There were no words that could describe the gratitude she felt as Kakashi reassured her, that Sasuke would not end up on the streets whilst she was out of the village.

In all honesty, she hadn’t even began to search seriously for an apartment, mind full with other things such as the council, the Uchiha clan, her rogue brother, Team 7, Hatake Kakashi and the decision of when to talk to Naruto about his family.

She couldn’t tell him anything about his father, but she could at least tell him about her oba-san. The blond was smarter than others gave him credit for; he’d be able to understand and keep quiet about it. Perhaps, she could persuade Kakashi to share some memories about Kushina-oba-san too.

Glancing up, Chiasa quickly closed her eyes again as a lone, guarded dark eye fluttered shut and calloused fingers played shyly with her hair.

Or perhaps, she’d not pressure him.

Everyone dealt differently with their grief and Chiasa was aware, that she had thrown herself headfirst into every available assassination mission after the Kyuubi Attack, the more dangerous the better. She had done everything to avoid the village.

Nevertheless, she’d have to talk to the Hatake soon. It would hurt Naruto when he figured out Kakashi willingly withheld information about his parents when all he had ever wanted was to know more about them. It was only a question of time until the blond realised his heritage.

The moment Chiasa felt Kakashi’s muscle tense and his breath shutter, she retreated from his arms, letting the Jounin escape from the contact.

An awkward silence reigned between the two Jounin, the intimacy of the situation suddenly like a slap in the face.

Kakashi cleared his throat uncomfortably, a tremor in his voice as he muttered: “It’s late. You should go to bed, Chiasa. I guess you’ll be leaving quite early if you want to reach your target quickly. You’ll need a good rest, so I’ll stay in the living room and you’ll have the bed for yourself.”

He was gone before Chiasa could utter a word, leaving behind a pile of leaves.

A faint smile adored her face as she trapsed silently into Kakashi’s bedroom. He was an idiot to believe she’d get more sleep without him by her side. She actually slept best with the knowledge that there was someone beside her that was just as aware of his surroundings as herself, someone that she didn’t need to protect.

* * *

The conversation that followed in the morning was heart-breaking.

Sasuke couldn’t believe that Chiasa would leave him in the village and it was the first time that Kakashi witnessed just how emotional an Uchiha could become. The tantrum the raven-haired boy threw was like something he had never seen. There was shouting, accusations and a few enraged tears from his student but in the end, Sasuke had to give up. There was nothing he could do to keep his sister with him.

Chiasa would have liked to say goodbye to Naruto and Sakura as well but by the time Sasuke had calmed, Yugao had knocked on the apartment door.

From there, everything had moved so fast that Kakashi wasn’t even sure what happened. One moment, the ebony-haired kunoichi had sat at his kitchen table enjoying breakfast and the next the front door of his apartment fell shut, leaving him alone with his sulking student.

The reassuring: “I’ll be back home soon.” was still echoing in his ears by the time Team 7 met up, and Sasuke explained the absence of his sister.

Fortunately, his other two students didn’t react as violently as Sasuke did to the news, though they were noticeable upset.

Only when Kakashi thought of mentioning that Chiasa would be disappointed to see them so lacklustre, did they return to their training with new vigour.

He should feel annoyed that his genin team apparently cared more about the kunoichi’s opinion than his own, but he couldn’t. How could he when he felt her absence just as hard as the children? From the moment Chiasa had snapped at him, demanding that he’d teach his team right, he had somehow recognised her as part of the team too.

To lighten up the mood a bit, he decided to take the genin for lunch and for once, being the one to pay the recipe.

Teuchi had become accustomed to the sight of two or three falcons around his shop, so he simply accepted that suddenly there were five birds around his favourite customer. When Chiasa and Fumiko had left, the falcons the kunoichi had called Satoshi, Shizu and Hiruki, were suddenly in his apartment and around Sasuke. Kakashi had figured out a long time ago that Hisa and Takeo had been sent as protection for Sakura and Naruto. It made his heart wrench strangely when he noticed that Satoshi, in fact, was not following Sasuke, but himself.

In the afternoon, he decided to give the kids a D-rank mission as a reward for the hard training in the morning.

* * *

When Kakashi had given has genin a D-rank mission – nowadays, Tora didn’t even try to run from the genin, instead played dead whenever the cat caught sight of them – he had not expected to end up with three sulking children demanding a higher ranked mission. Though, he should have known better. Nothing ever went according to plan for Team 7 after all.

A treacherous voice in his mind whispered: _‘Otherwise Chiasa would still be here.’_ , but Kakashi was quick to shut it down.

“Don’t be a fool! You’re only a genin!”

Iruka had leaned over the desk, chastising Naruto loudly.

“Everyone starts out doing grunt work. It’s where you get experience, so you can work your way up to the bigger things.”

“We’ve done tons of small stuff. Can’t we get some action?!”

The Hokage and Iruka looked at Kakashi, as if expecting him to shut his loudmouthed student up. Though, the Jounin didn’t even consider it, Icha-Icha Paradise was simply to interesting right now. Never mind that he agreed with the blond, and Chiasa and he had considered asking for a C-rank next week anyway.

His lone eye glanced secretly at his raven-haired genin. There was a reluctance in Sasuke’s eyes, but it was quickly displaced by the desire to prove his worth.

Frowning, the Jounin watched his student meticulously, not liking the way the ambitious gleam in Sasuke’s eyes reminded him of himself at that age: desperate to prove that he was worth more than the disgrace of his father. He didn’t want to think of Sasuke as himself. None of his students should and would never turn out like himself, not if he had any say in it. That’s one of the reasons he had been so relieved to have the kunoichi by his side.

No matter how cold and ruthless Chiasa was to the rest of the village, she always greeted the children with a warmth so unlike what you’d expect from a previous ANBU assassin.

“You see, every day, our village receives many requests,” Hiruzen took a drag from his pipe, talking with a grave voice to Team 7. “for everything from babysitters to assassination. We take that tremendous variety and sort them into categories from A to D, based on the degree of skill they require. We have also divided the shinobi…”

By that point his adorable genin had turned around, talking loudly about what they’d have for dinner that night.

Scratching his neck, Kakashi realised that he should probably apologise for his team.

“I… I’m sorry,” he said, not actually knowing what else to say. Usually his team would be so well behaved, but it seemed their manners left with Chiasa.

“I don’t want to hear it! All the old fart ever does is apologise and then give me a lecture,” shouted Naruto, hurt. “But it’s not fair. There’s more to me than the troublemaking screwup the old man thinks I am!”

It hurt to have the truth screamed out so loud, Sasuke suddenly realised. It wasn’t possible to not see the way the village treated his blond teammate like the last scum, so Sasuke always tried to walk between Naruto and the villagers. Sakura too, had started to sort of guard the Uzumaki after the first few days. However, the Uchiha hadn’t realised that Naruto was acutely aware of what the villages thought of him and that it did affect him, even if he tried to play it off. It wasn’t fair! The blond almost matched up to his kunai and shuriken skills and Sasuke had years of training with an ANBU assassin to show, whereas he was pretty sure Naruto had taught himself. Never mind, that they were equals in taijutsu. He could simply not compete with Naruto’s unending stamina, especially after a month of training from Chiasa-nee.

Darkly, he snarled at the men behind the desk, though Kakashi had moved in front of him, shielding him from their sight.

“Very well,” said Hiruzen, smiling slyly. “Since you put it that way, I will permit you to attempt a C-rank mission. The protection of a certain individual.”

Naruto’s expression was like pure sunlight, so blinding that his teammates had to look away. Inwardly, Sasuke decided that he preferred to see the blond like that, even if it burned his eyes.

“Who is it? Some great Lord? The Daimyo?! A princess?!”

“Compose yourself. I’ll perform the introductions straightaway. Please invite him in.”

The office door opened and an old man with grey hair and glasses entered the room.

“What’s going on here? They look like a bunch of wet nosed brats. Especially the midget. He’s got the face of an imbecile. It’s a joke, right? You kids aren’t really ninja, are you?”

Kakashi’s eye narrowed at the sake bottle in the man’s hand and the disgusting smell that surrounded every drunkard. However, his attention quickly shifted to his raven-haired student that had become strangely quiet and pale faced.

Naruto and Sakura exchanged a look, before they jumped into action.

Gently, the blond steered the trembling boy out of sight of their client as Sakura walked in front of the man, holding out her hand expectantly with a nasty sneer on her face.

“The bottle,” she hissed, not even trying to act polite.

Neither she nor Naruto knew the reason why their teammate had frozen up like that, but it didn’t actually matter. All that mattered was that Sasuke needed their help.

“Huh? What do you want brat?” the man stared down the pink-haired girl unimpressed, taking another gulp from the sake bottle.

Stopping the situation from going out of hand and wanting to check on Sasuke as soon as possible – the promise of looking after the boy, echoing in his ears - Kakashi intervened by simply taking the bottle out of his hand, giving their client a disdainful look.

“Ma, there will be no alcohol during the mission. Sorry, client-san,” he gave his lopsided eye smile as he hurled the bottle out of a nearby window.

Call him petty, but he didn’t want his students first C-rank mission to be anything other than a reward for their hard work. Perhaps, some of that overprotectiveness from Chiasa had rubbed off on him.

Sulkily, the man glared at the shinobi, finally introducing himself.

“I am Tazuna, a bridge builder of ultimate renown. Until I am safely back in my own country, where I’ll be completing my next bridge, you’ll all be expected to protect me. Even if it costs you your lives!”

* * *

Kakashi ushered his students out of the Hokage Tower as soon as possible, but by that time, Sasuke had gotten over what ever had caused him to freeze up and acted like nothing happened at all.

He was caught off guard by Sakura’s and Naruto’s pleading eyes and ended up with all three children staying over at his apartment for the first time.

The Jounin tried not to be too hurt when Naruto gazed around his small apartment like it was a kingdom; he’d seen what the blond’s home look liked and he was sure that Chiasa was aware of it too but he had never considered to help his student find somewhere else to live. Although, he doubted there were many places who’d welcome the blond even with Kakashi being there. A memory of Minato-sensei’s old home – destroyed in the Kyuubi Attack thirteen years ago – flashed before his inner eye and for the fraction of a second, Kakashi allowed himself to wonder how Naruto would have reacted to his parents’ home.

With three children in his living room it was a bit tight, but they didn’t seem to mind. There was a small argument as Naruto and Sasuke insisted that Sakura took the couch and they’d take the floor, but soon all children were deep asleep.

It wasn’t a conscious decision or even a thought when Kakashi lifted his hitai-ate, allowing the sight of his peacefully sleeping students to burn into his memory forever.

He had forgotten how heart-warming such small moments could be, sternly not thinking about the last time he had felt such contentment.

When he realised what he had done, his face paled and he fled out of the room.

However, his bedroom didn’t help much to calm down. Whereas the living room was filled with warmth and softness, his bedroom was cold and dark. There was no kunoichi that would fall asleep by his side, though they had never discussed that arrangement. It just had happened over time and Kakashi figured, that Chiasa had simply enough of the floor.

It took longer than it had in the last month for him to fall asleep.

* * *

In the morning, Sakura made a quick breakfast before Team 7 moved on to meet their client at Konoha’s gates.

Surprised, Kakashi noticed how for once not Naruto was flanked by his teammates, but instead they had decided to take Sasuke in their middle with Sakura left from him and Naruto on his right. It was still a mystery as to why the Uchiha had reacted so badly to their client, but it would have to wait.

Hopefully, Chiasa wouldn’t tear into him for potentially awaken an old trauma or for taking Sasuke out of the village without her. Even though, the kunoichi would have to learn that she had no longer a say over her brother, Kakashi felt like he betrayed the trust she had given him. Sternly, he pushed all thoughts about the kunoichi away.

Thankfully, Tazuna wasn’t drunk when they met him and there was also no bottle at his body, nevertheless, Sasuke’s entire body tensed, even though he kept going like there wasn’t anything bothering him. Kakashi had to admit that the Uchiha’s resolve was one to admire; most genin his age would have at least made their uneasiness vocal. 

Their trip was quiet except the small conversations between his two male students. After a few hours, Sakura decided to ask him more about the different ninja villages and countries, never letting her attention waver from their surroundings.

Apparently, his and Chiasa’s lessons about the importance about their awareness of their surroundings had stuck with her.

It helped that Chiasa’s falcons had followed them out of the village, keeping a careful eye on their charges. It didn’t help, however, that Satoshi was eyeing him in a way that Kakashi would have described as a glare, if they were summons.

The Jounin’s attention was soon turned to the fact that the Academy apparently, seriously lacked in teaching the genin basic knowledge, if even the top kunoichi didn’t know about shinobi villages.

It all was rather peaceful – if you ignored the jabs and provocations between Naruto and Sasuke – until the group passed a lone puddle and Kakashi was immediately on high alert. Chiasa’s voice rang in his ears, pleading to protect her brother but he shut her out; he needed to know who they were after.

The Jounin was not the only one that had noticed the puddle and the genin exchanged a wary glance. Almost automatically, they shifted around, surrounding Tazuna.

Suddenly, chains wrapped themselves around their silver-haired sensei and two hooded figures appeared behind him, tucking on the chains. Terrified, the children watched as their sensei was ripped into pieces.

“Sensei!” Naruto shouted; eyes widened in shock.

The blond didn’t realise fast enough that now he was the target of the two shinobi and their chains surrounded him dangerously.

Seeing the threat, Sasuke didn’t hesitate to push the blond out of the way, hissing lowly: “Get your head into the game, dobe!”

However, now the chains wrapped themselves around him. Shizu and Hiroki were immediately by his side, attacking the enemy. That moment of distraction was enough for Sasuke to kawamari with a stick, a few meters from the shinobi and throwing a huge fireball into their direction.

Naruto stumbled to the floor from the unexpected push, cold dread filling his entire being as he looked up to see Sasuke surrounded by the same chains that had killed their sensei. Sakura was suddenly by his side pulling him to his feet, ghostly pale but a determined gleam in her eyes.

The moment Shizu and Hiroki descended on the enemies, scratching and screeching, Naruto and Sakura moved.

It was difficult, but Naruto trusted Sasuke to protect himself, their entire teamwork built on the trust that the other would be fine.

Sakura knew she wouldn’t be able to take the shinobi on, at least not alone, but thankfully she wasn’t. There was no ninjutsu she felt comfortable to use that would help them in this situation, but Chiasa had taught her to play to her strengths if possible. She had spent hours with the kunoichi practicing and was confident that she’d got it.

Hidden behind Naruto, she went through the hand seals for the Hell Viewing technique, careful to get it right. Her teammate would have only a second to attack.

As soon as the first leaves span around one of the shinobi, Sakura nodded sharply.

“Go,” she whispered, already working on laying the false surrounding technique over Naruto. She wasn’t experienced enough yet, to hide him entirely but she could make it seem as if he was a few centimetres to the left.

Naruto didn’t need to be asked twice, to pounce on the momentarily disoriented shinobi.

They traded blows for a moment, Naruto taking a nasty hit to the face busting his nose, until he knocked the shinobi out with a hit to the neck.

Looking up, he was just in time to see Sasuke swipe his sword over the other enemy’s throat and dark red blood covering his teammate.

A choked scream stuck in his throat as he watched, how carelessly the Uchiha flung the shinobi to the ground, plunging another kunai into his chest.

Suddenly, Kakashi was there in a swirl of leaves, snatching the raven-haired boy from the dead shinobi.

“Are you okay?” he asked; not once had Naruto seen his sensei so distraught.

“Sensei!” shouted Sakura relieved, though Naruto was unable to tear his eyes from his blood covered teammate.

“What the hell is wrong with you, Sasuke?!” screamed the blond suddenly. “You didn’t need to kill him!”

Slowly, Sasuke turned to his teammate, whatever he might have been feeling, hidden behind an iron wall. His eyes were so dark and empty that it caused a shiver to run down Sakura’s spine as she accidentally caught sight of them.

“What.” growled the Uchiha lowly.

Was the blond really too dumb to understand why he had killed the shinobi? Did he even know what a shinobi was? Didn’t he know that every enemy you left alive, could stand up and kill you at a later time?!

“How can you just stand there and act like it was noting?! Don’t you feel guilty?! He could have had a family!”

Naruto wasn’t really sure, why he got so worked up; he knew that as a shinobi he had to kill no matter how much he hated the thought. Somehow, he just hadn’t considered that others might not share his reluctance to snuff out a life. The way Sasuke’s pale skin had turned deep red had made his gut churn and twist…

“Ma, I think that is enough, Naruto,” interrupted Kakashi sternly.

However, he had intervened too late, as Sasuke already turned away, bringing more distance between him and his teammates. If they didn’t get what it meant to be a shinobi, he’d not stoop down and spell it out for them. He’d been naïve to believe Chiasa and Kakashi as they spoke of teammates; if it hurt like that to have someone he could rely on; he’d rather be alone. It least than there wouldn’t be such a stinging pain in his chest.


	9. Chapter 8

He didn’t know how to handle this situation!

Kakashi barely knew how to act around his team on a good day, but now he was out of his depth. Sasuke had killed a foreign shinobi in cold blood and Naruto somehow took offence in that. He knew that the blond was a kind soul, but he also understood why Sasuke had done what he did. If you’ve fought your entire life you learned that a dead enemy is better than one that could potentially stab you in the back. You learned to live with the guilt.

However, the similarities between himself and Sasuke were terrifying. It was a horrifying to see himself in every punch the raven-haired genin pulled, in every kunai he threw, in every jutsu he accomplished.

The fear for Sasuke quickly turned into anger at Chiasa. Why had the kunoichi never told him that Sasuke already had his first kill and from the way he had slit the shinobi’s throat, his second and third as well. He would have talked to Naruto and Sakura before the mission, he’d have never let it go so far!

Angry, he quickly tied up the unconscious shinobi before turning to their client.

“Tazuna-san, I need to speak with you,” he said sternly. “Our attackers appeared to be Chunin of Kirigakure. They are shinobi renowned for their willingness to fight on until their goal is achieved, even at the cost of their own lives.”

Kakashi tried to ignore the glare Naruto threw at Sasuke or the way Sakura nervously shuffled between her teammates.

“Obviously, they were watching and waiting for us. The sun is out, and it hasn’t rained for several days so there shouldn’t have been any puddles on the ground.”

“If you knew all that, why did even let those creeps attack you?” the old man asked accusingly but quickly turned silence as Kakashi’s single eye surveyed him intensely.

“I could have killed them at any time, but I wanted to find out who their real target was.”

Right now, he wanted to slap himself for that stupid idea.

“What do you mean by that?”

“Were you really the one they were after? Or was it one of us ninja? There has been no word of any shinobi seeking to take your life. The request that was relayed to Lord Hokage was that you have an escort to protect you against any roving bands of thieves and brigands. In any case, it’s clear this is more than a B-rank mission.”

When he had taken his kids on a C-rank, he had not wanted to risk their lives and throw a wrench in their admirable teamwork.

“To protect you from ordinary dangers until you complete the bridge, you’re currently constructing would be a simple thing. But if you expected to be the target of a ninja assault then it is beyond question that this would have been classified - and priced - as a Jounin mission. You may have had your reasons, but it’s never a good idea to conceal the facts when you’re asking for help. As it is, this task falls far beyond the boundaries of the job we were assigned.”

Kakashi wanted nothing more than to make their client understand, that he didn’t take lightly to a possible danger to his students and whisk said students back to Konoha, where they’d hopefully get over their fight.

* * *

Unsurprisingly, it was Naruto who insisted that they completed the mission after hearing the tragic backstory of Tazuna. If it had been the blond alone, Kakashi would still have turned back, but Sakura, too, wanted to continue. There was no reaction from Sasuke other than an icy glare as one of the others came too close to him. It worried Kakashi to no end.

If he hadn’t been so angry with Chiasa, he might have decided differently, listening to the part of his mind saying that his kids were not ready. In the end, Team 7 continued the mission to the obvious displeasure of Chiasa’s falcons.

Kakashi really didn’t know what it was with those birds that made him feel so judged.

They continued their travel without any other attacks until they reached the Land of Waves. Despite, a few days having passed, Sasuke still stayed silent and didn’t so much glance at his teammates, his face pulled into an ever-present scowl. Neither Naruto nor Sakura had made an attempt to reach out to the raven-haired boy, though from the way Naruto looked, it wouldn’t take too long until he exploded, fighting with the other once again.

Kakashi’s anger at Chiasa’s omission of such important facts, like that his student was not unaccustomed to killing, had disappeared, though he was still irritated at the lack of trust.

All of a sudden, Naruto threw a shuriken into some bushes, shouting loudly: “Over there!”

Silence followed as they waited tensely for something to happen.

“I…uh, guess it was only a mouse,” muttered the blond, scratching his neck and waving Takeo away, who bit his ear annoyed.

“What mouse?” growled Sakura, long past acting like the civilian girl her mother wanted to make out of her. “Are you out of your mind? There was nothing there, you idiot!”

Sweat dropping, Kakashi pleaded: “Please… Please don’t play around with your shuriken. They can be just a teensy bit dangerous!”

“Hey! Don’t go scaring us! Stop messing with our heads!” shouted Tazuna angrily, though anything else stuck in his throat when the raven-haired boy of Team 7 levelled a chilling glare at him.

Sasuke might still not talk to his teammates, but he wanted to hear Tazuna’s voice even less. The man had willingly put them into danger, one that could have ended fatally.

The group managed to walk a bit further before Naruto threw another shuriken, exclaiming: “This time! Over there!”

Tazuna was quietly berating the blond, but this time Kakashi had felt it too. As he went to check it out, Takeo tried to pull Naruto away, who was confused by the bird’s actions. Hisa was in Sakura’s arms, nervously chirping, sharp eyes checking the nearby trees carefully. Meanwhile, Sasuke had drawn his sword, holding the blade attentively in front of him and listening to Shizu and Hiroki’s croons. He trusted the senses of his sister’s falcons more than his own. They might not be summons, but Chiasa had nevertheless trained them to accompany her on missions.

There was a white rabbit where Naruto’s shuriken had landed and Kakashi was immediately on high alert. Something just wasn’t right. A glance back, showed that his students had picked up on the tense atmosphere as well and were accordingly attentive.

“Everyone take cover!” he bellowed a second before a giant butcher knife flew through the air impaling itself in a nearby tree.

His heart was racing as he set sight on the person, arrogantly standing on the hilt of the large sword.

“Well, well…if it isn’t Momochi Zabuza, the kid who ran off and left the Land of Mist.”

Kakashi could not glance back to check on his students and their client, who he’d let Naruto use as his next training dummy, only hoping that they’d somehow make it out alive.

Thankfully – and he knew it was because of Chiasa’s continued preaching of taking it slow – none of the genin tried to take the foreign shinobi on.

The silver-haired Jounin didn’t even consider testing the other Jounin, already pulling his hitai-ate up.

“Kakashi of the sharingan eye, I presume? If it wouldn’t be too much trouble could you surrender the old man?”

“Assume the manji battle formation and protect Tazuna-san. All of you, stay out of this fight, that’s the kind of teamwork this situation demands,” ordered Kakashi, praying to all gods that the kids would listen. “And now, Zabuza, shall we?!”

“Ahh, to face the legendary mirror-wheel eye so early in our acquaintance. This is an honour.”

Whilst the rogue shinobi continued to speak, Kakashi’s mind was racing. Zabuza was an assassin of Kiri and arguable one of the best, he might even be in the same league as Uchiha Chiasa. No matter what, he had to get him away from his students.

Having made his mind up, the silver-haired Jounin didn’t give the other time to pull out any jutsu before flinging himself at him. As long as Zabuza didn’t start his hidden mist jutsu, he had the advantage.

The next exchange of blows was so fast that the genin could barely follow and as mist started to surround them, Sasuke was tempted to activate his sharingan, but the promise to his sister stopped him.

Nevertheless, he would not stand by as his sensei fought alone.

“Oi, usuratonkachi,” he whispered at his blond teammate, eyes never leaving the fight before them.

“Teme?”

“Make some shadow clones and henge them into us, so we’re not completely helpless if that man passes by sensei.”

It didn’t matter how irritated he was with his team; he’d bring them all home in one piece. He would not lose anyone else!

“Good idea, Sasuke,” whispered Sakura, unsuccessful in keeping a tremor out of her voice.

Suddenly, Kakashi had his kunai at Zabuza’s neck and then Zabuza burst into water, appearing behind Kakashi again. The fight continued until Kakashi was thrown into the nearby pond.

Gasping for air, he broke through the surface when Zabuza appeared behind him, going hastily through hand seals.

“Hah! Gullible fool!”

Without being able to stop it, water encased Kakashi in a tight ball.

“Heh-heh-heh… that prison is inescapable. You’re trapped,” boasted Zabuza. “You running around free makes it too hard for me to do my job. I’ll finish you later after I’ve dealt with all the others.”

With his free hand, he made the seals for another water clone and Kakashi panicked.

_‘I knew he was good, but not this good!’_

The Hatake was holding his breath, unable to intervene as a perfect copy of Zabuza slowly creeped up at his students.

“Heh-heh-heh… little ninja wannabe. Trying so hard to fit in, you even wear a hitai-ate. But a true ninja is one who has recrossed the barrier between the Lands of the living and the dead. Clothes don’t make a shinobi. You need skills good enough to rate a listing in my bingo book of enemies before you deserve to be called ninja. We don’t call your kind “Ninja”. We call them…”

All of the sudden Zabuza’s clone was in the middle of their formation, hauling his sword around. All around, copies of Team 7 burst into smoke, until by a stroke of bad luck, the clone hit the real Naruto, throwing him far away from his teammates.

“Naruto!” shouted Sasuke and Sakura simultaneously, accompanied by the outraged screeching of their falcons.

Takeo had been brave enough to descend on the rogue shinobi, biting his ear viciously until the clone burst into water.

“…brats,” the real Zabuza finished his sentence at the same time his clone burst, and he couldn’t keep the disbelieving expression of his face.

To be fair, neither could Kakashi or the genin, other than Sasuke. He knew how strong Fumiko was and even though he hadn’t spent years with the other members of their cast, it was obvious that they were not defenceless.

That moment of victory was cut short when Zabuza simply sent another water clone after them, this one immediately swiping at Takeo, throwing him across the clearing.

“Takeo!”

“Everyone, listen! Take Tazuna and go! It’s a fight you can’t win! If he wants to hold me in this water prison, he can’t leave this place. If his water clone gets more than a certain distance away from his real body, he loses control of it. So, get out of here!” shouted Kakashi terrified.

His kids needed to get out of here immediately, he’d never forgive himself if they got hurt because he had been too stubborn to abandon the mission when it first came out that they had been deceived.

A small part of him that was not entirely frozen in fear, wished that the ebony-haired kunoichi was here. He was certain, Zabuza wouldn’t have been able to come close to their team. Hastily, he pushed the thoughts away, there was no time to think about what-ifs, he’d spare it a thought when they survived.

Glaring at the clone, Naruto crawled to his feet, body hurting, though it was nothing like after a training session with Chiasa-nee and lunged himself at the clone.

“Stop, you idiot!” screamed Kakashi, panic filling his entire being as he watched powerless as his blond student ran into his death.

“Hah! Imbecile!”

As expected Zabuza’s clone was merciless, kicking the blond back to his teammates.

Groaning in pain, Naruto struggled to get up, though his teammates were already by his side, helping him.

“What were you thinking, tackling him by yourself!” berated the pink-haired kunoichi him, bright eyes looking him over for any serious injury.

From all of them, she had taken the most to the basic first aid lessons, Chiasa had beat into them.

“That was incredibly stupid!” snarled Sasuke, breaking his silence as he steadied the blond.

Wordlessly, Naruto held his hand up, his hitai-ate in a tight grip, effectively silencing his worrying teammates.

“Hey…you…” he provoked the Jounin fearlessly, even as a trickle of blood dripped from his busted lip. “What’s life like without eyebrows, freak?”

If the situation wasn’t as dire, Sasuke would have strangled the loudmouthed blond himself at this moment. It wasn’t enough that Zabuza was way out of their league, no, the blond just had to open his mouth!

“Got a new listing for your bingo book right here! A guy who is going to be the next Lord Hokage of Konohagakure.”

Determined, Naruto tied his hitai-ate over his forehead, grinning fearlessly at the rogue ninja.

“Uzumaki Naruto!”

“Heh-heh… You’re very sure of yourself but do you really think you stand a chance against me?” asked Zabuza mockingly as Naruto made another dozen or so shadow clones, henging some of them into Sakura and Sasuke.

Kakashi’s eyes widened in fear as he realised his kids would not leave.

“What’s the matter with you?” he screamed, barely holding it together, bits and pieces of when he had last lost someone precious flitted before his inner eyes. “I told you to run. It’s over…It was over the second he caught me! You have to do your duty, keep that in mind. We’re here to protect Tazuna-san!”

Naruto looked back at the old bridge builder with his puppy eyes, that he knew, nobody could withstand.

“Gramps?”

“What?” Tazuna grimaced, before grinning encouragingly at the group of young ninjas. “Let’s face facts. The truth is, I got us into this mess by lying. I’ve had a real long life, and it would be wrong to let you four kids get yourselves killed trying to save me. So, you go ahead, give this fight everything you’ve got.”

“Hn, so that’s it,” muttered Sasuke, walking up next to Naruto, giving Sakura a sign.

“Are you ready for this?” asked Naruto, grinning wildly as another Sakura stood on his other side; they had talked about this tactic in theory, though they hadn’t had time to practice it yet.

“Heh-heh-heh-heh-heh…“ Zabuza couldn’t stop laughing as dozen of snotnosed children gathered to attack him. “Apparently you don’t care whether you live to get any older! Playing at being ninja like it’s a child’s game…I, however, by the time I was your age had already dyed these hands in my enemies’ blood.”

He held one hand up, the other still in his water prison, and stared threateningly at the children.

“The demon Zabuza!” muttered Kakashi, eyebrows furrowed.

“It would seem my reputation has preceded me.”

“Long ago, in the village hidden in the mist – also known as The Village of the Bloody Mist – the final step toward becoming a full-fledged ninja was the most inhumanly difficult test imaginable,” explained Kakashi, hoping that Zabuza would take the bait and buy time for him to free himself of this water prison somehow.

“So, you’ve heard about our little graduation exercise.” Finally, Zabuza’s eyes moved from the genin to himself and Kakashi could literally feel the relief from his students.

“Graduation exercise?” wondered Naruto as the rogue ninja laughed darkly. “Wh-what graduation exercise?”

“It’s a kind of killing spree among classmates,” uttered Zabuza uncaring about the sudden tension and fear in the children.

Seeing the large eyes, clouded in fear and insecurity, of his students, Kakashi swore that when he was out of here, he’d grab them and give them as much as warmth and comfort as he could. If needed, he’d drag Chiasa back himself, which he’d probably do anyway because the children definitely needed her after this fiasco.

“Students who’d been friends, eating from the same dish, as undergrads were divided into pairs who were forced to fight against each other to the death. Think of it. Comrades who had trained together, lived together, shared each other’s every hope and dream…”

These words touched something in Sasuke that he’d thought long gone; a fear, a memory of an older raven-haired boy covered in deep red blood and a crazed gleam in spinning sharingan eyes.

“Ten years ago, the elders of the village hidden in the mist were forced to enact a sweeping reform of their barbaric graduation ritual” continued Kakashi. “because of the appearance, during the previous year of a human fiend who made reform essential.”

“What kind of reform?” wondered Sakura, gripping her kunai tightly. “What are you talking about? What did the fiend you’re talking about do?”

The silver-haired Jounin wasn’t sure if his students had figured out his plan and if Sakura was only acting, but is she was, she did a fine job in it.

“Without a moment’s hesitation, without any hint of a qualm, a boy who hadn’t even qualified yet as a ninja butchered over a hundred members of that year’s graduating class.”

Looking up wistfully, Zabuza gushed: “Ah, yes. Good times… I used to have such fun.”

All of the sudden, the ceasefire was over and Zabuza’s clone jumped in between the dozen Team 7’s. Without hesitation, Sasuke launched one fireball after another that were strengthened and turned into a massive inferno by Naruto’s own wind dragon, a jutsu he had spent days practicing with Chiasa.

Soon the entire clearing was covered in flames and none of the boys seemed to slow down, firing jutsu after jutsu and kunai after kunai. Kakashi could only hope, that Tazuna and the falcons had escaped in time, he did not want to tell the Hokage how they had grilled their client on their first C-rank.

Through the mist from the water and fire mixing, he could barely make out where his genin where, though sometimes he could see the flash of Sasuke’s blade when he swiped at the clone or the actual Zabuza.

* * *

Steadying her breath, Sakura continued to sneak forwards, careful to keep her chakra supressed. Chiasa had started her and the boys on presence masking as one of the first things, telling them that it was a technique that was hard but should be essential for every genin for it could be lifesaving. The boys had difficulties, but for her with her small chakra reserves and almost perfect control it was only a small challenge.

Nevertheless, she had only tried a handful of times using genjutsu and presence masking at the same time, and it took all of her concentration to not drop anything. Sweat was lining her face and she already felt as exhausted as if she had done an entire afternoon only stamina training. She’d definitely cut her hair when she was back in Konoha or ask Chiasa for tips, because she did not want to go any longer with strands of long hair hanging into her face.

Finally, she was only a step behind her sensei’s prison and the last hindrance before the silver-haired Jounin would be free. She needed to break through the water surface quick enough before Zabuza noticed and she already had an idea, the problem was that she had never tried it, not even once.

She had read about chakra cloaking in books before, had even played with the thought of asking her teachers about it, but hadn’t had the time or confidence for it. Right now, she wanted to slap herself for being the coward and not even asking. This would be so much easier if she would have any practice.

Regardless, Sakura breathed out quietly, hoping to all gods that her False surrounding genjutsu was still strong, and carefully directed her chakra to her hand. The books had explained it as some sort of pull or tug, so she simply tugged harshly when she felt there was enough chakra gathered.

To her surprise, there really was a light green shimmering around her hand and up to her wrist. For a second, all she could do was stare at it incredulously, disbelieving that she did it.

That moment was quickly over, when Inner Sakura reminded her loudly of her two teammates that were currently acting as distraction.

Sakura didn’t dare to avert her eyes from her glowing hand, afraid that she’d lose her concentration if she so much as glanced at the rogue shinobi, only a few steps away from her.

Biting her lip in concentration, she plunged her hand through the water prison, clutching Kakashi’s ankle and pulling with all her might. There was a momentarily resistance before she fell backwards, and her sensei almost landed on her surprised.

A victorious cry escaped her lips though it stuck in her throat as she suddenly felt a menacing presence on her and could only watch wide-eyed as the demon Zabuza swiped a large shuriken down at her.

Suddenly, Kakashi was in front of her, stopping the shuriken with the back of his hand, wet silver hair hanging deep into his face and sharingan eye spinning wildly.

“Stay away from my students, Zabuza,” the Hatake growled darkly.

* * *

Kakashi had been caught completely off guard, attention fixed on the fight in front of him, as he was suddenly pulled out of the prison and caught sight of pink hair.

There were no words that could describe how proud he had been in that moment. He’d buy his genin as many lunches and dinners as they wanted when they were back in Konoha!

Furiously, he caught the shuriken aimed at his brave kunoichi and couldn’t hold back a growl.

“Just so you know, the same spell won’t work on me twice,” he threatened the missing nin, launching a water dragon missile at him.

He had just enough time to snatch the pinknette and shunshin back to the boys that had disposed of the clone a moment ago.

“You did really well,” Kakashi told them, unable to hold it in. “Now let me finish and then we’ll get out of here.”

The genin didn’t get the chance to say anything before the silver-haired Jounin shunshined away again, throwing himself with new fury into the fight.

The two Jounin stood opposite to each other, hands put into the same seal.

 _‘All of me moves, my gestures, he sees…’_ thought Zabuza tensely as Kakashi suddenly exclaimed: “…through them all!”

Panic filled the missing nin, as sweat drops lined his face.

_‘What? He’s reading my mind?! Curse him! He’s…’_

“…got that sicken evil look in his eye, right?” Kakashi couldn’t stop the feral grin that broke out beneath his mask, though no one could see it; Zabuza had touched his genin, he’d not leave alive.

“Heh… You’re a pale imitation.”

“I’m the genuine article. No mere copycat stands a chance against me.”

Hurriedly, Zabuza went through hand seals, shouting. “You mimic me like a parrot! I’ll close your beak for good!”

The ninja’s eyes widened as he caught sight of a figure next to the Copycat.

_‘I-it’s me? But that’s impossible! Is this another of his illusions?’_

“Water style! Giant waterfall!”

“Wh-what?!”

A giant vortex of water plunged at Zabuza, throwing hm of his feet and against a nearby tree.

Kakashi crouched on a branch over the rogue ninja, angrily glaring down at him.

“That’s that…”

“What?” uttered the Kiri nin, feeling fear creep into his being. “Can you see the future?”

Pulling out a kunai, the silver-haired Jounin snarled: “I foresee your death.”, but before he could jump down, slitting the shinobi’s throat like he desired so strongly, a pair of senbon seared through the air and impaled Zabuza’s neck. His eyes immediately wandered to the person standing on another tree and wearing a Kiri-Hunter nin mask.

“Your prediction came true,” said the unknown person.

Nevertheless, Kakashi shunshined down, checking Zabuza’s pulse himself, though he still kept an eye warily on the Hunter nin.

“Thank you for your help. I hope you don’t mind my interfering,” the Hunter nin bowed slightly. “But I wanted the satisfaction of putting Zabuza out of his misery myself.”

Still suspicious of the other shinobi and paranoia leading his mind, Kakashi asked: “The mask is familiar… correct me if I’m wrong but aren’t you a shinobi hunter from the village hidden in the mist?”

“Well, aren’t you a smart one?!”

The voice of that hunter nin was soft, he couldn’t be much older than his genin.

“I am, indeed, a member of the elite tracking unit from Kirigakure. It is our responsibility – and our art- to hunt down and deal with the rogues and outlaws.”

Kakashi eyed the hunter nin cautiously, before moving to his team and letting his eyes wander quickly over them, checking for any serious injury. Thankfully, the most serious one seemed to be Sasuke’s wrist, which was probably broken from the way he held it. He’d look at it closer later when they were safe.

Proudly, he patted Naruto’s spiky hair, as he eyed the strange shinobi distrustfully.

“Your battle is over, for now,” the hunter nin, lifted Zabuza up and threw him over his shoulder almost effortlessly. “and the remains must be disposed of lest they give up secrets to our foes. Well then, I must be off.”

Sighing, Kakashi pulled his hitai-ate back over his eye, turning his attention to his genin team. Thank kami, they were still alive.

“Are you all okay? Any pain? Sasuke let me see your wrist?” the Jounin asked hastily, adding as an afterthought: “Do you know where Tazuna-san and the falcons are?”

At that moment, Tazuna broke through some partly burned bushes, accompanied by four falcons and carrying the fifth one in his hands.

Takeo’s feathers were ruffled, and he eyed their surrounding suspiciously, though as he caught sight of his humans, he tried to jump out of the old man’s arm, despite his wing bending in an unnatural angel.

Suddenly, everything around Kakashi started to spin and the last thing that crossed his mind, before he fell to the floor with a loud thump, was: _‘Chiasa is going to kill me.’_

* * *

Sakura dropped next to their sensei, quickly checking his pulse before reassuring the boys that it seemed to be simply exhaustion. Nevertheless, they still had the problem that they had to get to Tazuna’s home.

“Okay,” the kunoichi sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose thoughtfully. “Naruto, you and I will carry Kakashi-sensei. Sasuke, you’ll carry Takeo and don’t even try to lift anything else until sensei had a look at your wrist. Tazuna-san, if you could lead the way, that would be great. Guys,” she looked at the falcons pleadingly. “could you be the look out?”

Nobody contradicted Sakura, too exhausted to even think about anything else other than sleeping. Though, Sasuke still opened his mouth to declare that he was strong enough to help carry Kakashi, a heated glare from both of his teammates made him shut up.

* * *

Kakashi awoke with a splitting headache and the feeling as if an entire carriage had run over him. Kami, chakra exhaustion was never a funny thing. All of a sudden, he sat up, eye searching hastily for his charges. Thankfully, they were all seated around his futon, so he let himself fall back, suppressing a pained groan.

“Are you all right?” asked a dark-haired woman suddenly.

“No, but I will be…in about a week.”

“The sharingan is an incredible power but doesn’t the strain it puts on your body make you wonder if it’s worth it?” asked Sakura curiously and Kakashi could only smile wryly.

He had wondered the same thing over and over again, but in the end, he had made a promise, one that he wouldn’t break. He’d see the world for the both of them.

Taking a deep breath, Kakashi gathered his thoughts. First of all, he needed to check on his students. Then he’d figure everything else out.

“Sasuke, show me your arm,” he demanded, sitting up again, though this time slower.

Rolling his eyes, the raven-haired boy held up his hand wrapped in thick bandages. Despite cooling it, the swelling hadn’t gone down much and Kakashi realised that the bone was indeed broken, though how bad, he didn’t know. At least, no bone penetrated the skin so that was something.

 _‘Chiasa is going to strangle me. She’s going to set my entire Icha-Icha paradise series on fire,’_ thought the Jounin, a cold shiver running down his spin as he thought of furious onyx eyes.

“Tazuna-san, you don’t have any medic-nin in your village by any chance?” he asked, half-jokingly, half serious.

There would be no training for the Uchiha until they went back to Konoha and if they ran into a fight again, he’d be at a disadvantage. Never mind that there could be serious long-time consequences if the fracture wasn’t treated right.

“No, sorry,” muttered the bridge builder, taking a sip of his water.

_‘At least, he was considerate enough not to drink alcohol around Sasuke.’_

Sighing, Kakashi pinched the bridge of his nose. There was nothing he could do right now; he didn’t know any medical jutsu and he couldn’t leave the bed for the next week. Afterwards, however, he’d snatch up his genin and walk straight back to Konoha. He wouldn’t spend a second longer than absolutely necessary on this mission anymore.

“Okay, just continue to cool it and don’t put any weight on it. We’ll return to Konoha as soon as possible and let a medic heal it. Sakura, Naruto it’s your job to make sure Sasuke isn’t being stupid,” he told the others, relieved to see that there were no icy or heated glares between the boys anymore.

His eye checked over his other two students, Sakura only having a few bruises and patched up cuts and Naruto having healed from whatever he might have received. Then he remembered how Takeo had been hit be Tazuna and he felt cold dread settle in his gut. Chiasa loved her falcons almost as much as her brother and he had managed to get both injured on the first mission he had taken them.

“What about the falcons? Is Takeo alright?”

Instead of answering, Sakura shuffled to the side, giving him sight of the five falcons cuddled together on a large pillow, Takeo’s wing being in a white bandage.

“Except Takeo, they’re alright,” she explained. “I can’t get my mind off that masked kid, sensei.”

A shiver racked his body and there was something unsettling that Sakura’s question had started.

“What’s wrong, Kakashi-sensei?” asked Naruto curiously as Kakashi hit his head.

“Of course. The shinobi hunters who manage corpse disposals are supposed to destroy the bodies of those they kill at once, right on the spot,” he explained, carefully.

“So what?”

Kakashi didn’t blame his students for not putting one and one together, the last days were exhausting.

“How did the kid in the mask dispose of Zabuza’s corpse?”

Hesitantly, Sakura replied: “He took the body with him…”

“Yes, he did. Even though all he needed to take home as proof he’d made the kill was the head! And there is a mystery surrounding the weapons that the hunter nin used to dispatch his prey.”

Suddenly, Sasuke’s eyes widened in disbelieve and his face got even paler than usual.

“No way…” he muttered pleadingly.

Scratching his head, Kakashi replied: “Yes way!”

“What the hell nonsense are you mumbling on about?” wondered Tazuna loudly, not liking the unsettling tension.

With a grave voice, Kakashi revealed: “That it’s likely Zabuza is still alive!"


	10. Chapter 9

The trip to the Land of Lightning and until they had located their target in one of the busier towns near the ocean, was exactly like Chiasa had expected it: a torture.

It was nice to travel with Yugao again, but the ebony-haired kunoichi could simply not concentrate fully on their mission when her little brother was alone in Konoha. It was sufficient to say that she slept poorly, more often than not opting to keep watch and use chakra to keep herself awake.

By the time they had reached the town, she had gotten used to minimal sleep again, though it was admittedly harder after having the luxury of sleeping peacefully for more than a month.

It was another week until the two kunoichi had done enough scouting and preparing to kill the man swiftly and traceless.

Chiasa was restless, having expected to be back in Konoha by that time, she was after all, the best assassin in the Land of Fire, never mind, that she had been out of practice for the last five years.

However, it had become obvious why the mission was an A-rank.

The target – a cousin of the Daimyo of the Land of Fire that had been connected with human trafficking and slavery – had surrounded himself with a group of A- to B- ranked individuals from the bingo book. But these were not the actual problem. The reason she and Yugao had to spend a week on planning were the two individuals clad in strange black cloaks with red clouds. They had identified them quickly as Hidan and Kakazu of Takigakure, two S-ranked missing nins.

The moment these two had stepped onto the field, the mission had become a S-rank ANBU level mission. Whoever had done the first information gathering had done a shit job and Chiasa would give them a piece of her mind when she was back in the village.

Their first move of action had been to request an ANBU backup team, because while Chiasa was a proud Uchiha and confident in her power, the desire to reunite with her brother and Team 7 was bigger than her pride. She wouldn’t willingly engage two S-ranked shinobi with only Yugao as support, however, since Konoha still had not replied to their urgent message she might not have another choice.

* * *

One and a half weeks after their initial leave, the two kunoichi decided that they could no longer wait.

Sato Daisuke would leave the town the next day and it would take days to scout out his next stop.

“Do you have everything?” asked Yugao tensely as Chiasa stepped out of the small bathroom in their rented room.

Her eyes looked her friend up and down, unable to keep the surprise off her face.

Uchiha Chiasa was a beauty like no other.

The kunoichi was glad in a flattering, body-hugging snow-white kimono with a pattern of a cute red cherry tree. A vivid, red-coloured obi adored with golden spider lilies and a light green edge held the entire thing together, emphasizing the Uchiha’s petite figure. A thin strip of the same vivid red with a gold-coloured pattern was visible at the collar. For once, she didn’t wear footwear suitable for her profession but instead white socks and elegant, but simple black geta.

Chiasa had pulled her dark hair into an elegant bun, small braids going from the front to the back and her bangs accentuate her high cheekbones in a charming way. Holding everything together was a gorgeous hair ornament of light red, soft pink and white roses with dark green leaves.

The only make-up that the Uchiha had used were a dark red lipstick, pulling the attention of anyone onto her full, soft lips and a bronze-coloured eyeshadow. Combined with her fair skin and the dark, full eyelashes the kunoichi was an alluring sight. One that a man would do anything for.

Blank faced, Chiasa put one last senbon into her skilful hair style.

“Yeah,” she replied distracted.

It had been a long time since she had needed to dress up like this and even during her time in ANBU she had rarely used this approach to assassinate her target. With her talent in genjutsu it had been easy to plunge her target into a world of illusion and end their life there.

However, with Hidan and Kakuzu there, her genjutsu would alert them before she could deliver the fatal blow, so they chose the good old way of poison. She just needed to get close enough and that was it.

Chiasa caught sight of herself in a small mirror and suddenly felt herself thrown back in time. The last time she had worn such expensive and ornate clothing had been at her cousin’s funeral.

Shisui…

Kami, did she miss her cousin, who had been something of a twin for her. They were both born in the same year, Shisui a few months before her and had gone through the Academy together. Then, when she had chosen the path of an assassin, choosing the darkness before the light, Shisui had watched over Itachi and Sasuke for her. He had made sure that her brother had someone in ANBU or when the clan was too assertive whilst she was out, drenching the world in blood.

Itachi had never told her what had happened on that fateful day and he might have been able to deceive the rest of the clan, but she had known Shisui for a few years longer them him. She had survived the Third Shinobi World War by his side. There was no way, her humble and cheerful other half would commit suicide.

Suddenly, there was a hand on her shoulder, breaking her out of her thoughts and Chiasa locked eyes with her old friend.

“If you feel like it’s too much, abandon the mission. Your life is more important than the success of any mission, especially one that we were not prepared for.”

The ebony-haired kunoichi forced a reassuring smile on her face, even though failure was not an option. She would not allow the first association of the Uchiha clan to be failure.

“Don’t worry. Everything will go according to plan.”

* * *

An hour later, Chiasa found herself in a stuffed bar, sipping on her sake slightly and smiling coyly at the men eyeing her hungrily.

For the last ten minutes Sato Daisuke’s mud-brown eyes had stayed on her while she gave him shy smiles from time to time. It wasn’t much longer until the man stood up, strolling into her direction closely followed by one of his bodyguards.

The stale smell of alcohol invaded her nose, causing goosebumps when there was suddenly a breath down her neck.

“What is a pretty Lady like yourself doing here all alone?”

Daisuke’s voice was rough and husky, affected by lust and alcohol as he put his hands carelessly at her hips and Chiasa greeted her new role with open arms. Leaning slightly into the man, she gave him a pouty grin, her red lips shining deliciously in the dim light of the bar. Gleefully, the kunoichi noticed the aroused gleam in her target’s eyes and the way he licked his lips.

“Just looking for some fun, mylord. It would be such a shame to spend the evening alone in my hotel room, don’t you think so?” purred Chiasa, gazing at the man with dark eyes. “You and your friend must come around a lot, you must have many exciting stories to share.”

Daisuke couldn’t tear his eyes from the sinfully beauty. Aroused, he wet his lips again, his throat suddenly incredible dry and let his hands roam over the woman’s body.

The alluring stranger had caught his sight the moment she had entered the bar, tender body hugged by soft silk. He had wanted nothing more than to rip the covering fabric off of her, allowing him to feast on fair skin until he had her screaming under him. He wanted to ravish her until all she could do was sob and beg and he would. The brunet man always got his way after all.

Perhaps, if the slut proved to be good enough, he’d keep her with him, otherwise his partner would surely appreciate such a pretty addition to his shipment.

“I’ve been to a couple of large cities and I’d be delighted to tell you all about them if you’d allow me to buy you another drink.”

Giggling, Chiasa nodded, allowing Daisuke to pull her up and lead her back to his table. There, she shyly sat down next to Kakuzu, acting like an ignorant civilian girl and staring curiously at the missing-nin. Hidan was on Kakuzu’s other side, eyeing the woman zealously.

“You’re a fine bitch, aren’t you?” he asked her smirking, uncaring of the glare his partner sent his way.

“Shut up, Hidan,” muttered the bulky shinobi, not wanting to lose any profit due to the jashinist’s loudmouth.

Embarrassed, Chiasa giggled into her hand, blinking at the two shinobi flirtatiously.

When Daisuke took his seat next to her, ordering one of his goons to hand her a glass, he could not stop himself from brushing her cheek, craving to just pin the woman down. His fingers curled around a loose strand of dark, velvety hair.

Disgust filled Chiasa as he tucked rather harshly on her hair, but she only giggled drunkenly and leaned into the touch. It wouldn’t do to ram a senbon into his carotid artery, no matter how much her skin burned and crawled at the filthy touch. Even if she did, one of the two S-rank shinobi would kill her before she could escape.

“What’s your name, darling?” Daisuke breathed into her ear, too close to her neck for comfort.

“Nana, mylord,” she replied blushing.

“Nana.”

Her false name sounded vile in her ears but Chiasa forced her eyes to darken lust filled, nevertheless.

For a while, Daisuke spoke about his extravagant trips, filling Chiasa’s glass continuously. If the Uchiha were an ordinary civilian, she’d be past drunk by now. Her target seemed to think so too as he gave his bodyguards a sign.

Apparently, her acting skills were still as perfect as five years ago, though Kakuzu eyed her with some wariness. Hidan’s dark aroused gaze, however, put every single sense on high alert; she could deal with one pitiful civilian but she did not, under any circumstances, want to be targeted by an S-ranked missing nin that sacrificed people to his god.

“I have some beautiful fabric from the Land of Mist that would suit you perfectly in my room. The light blue hues and white would be charming on you,” offered Daisuke, his hands roaming with less restrain over her hips.

“Oh! Show me!” cheered Chiasa delighted, desperate to end this dreadful mission.

Smirking, the man downed his drink, before whisking the kunoichi away.

“When you’re done, I want a turn with the bitch!” cackled Hidan loudly. “Jashin-sama finds her incredible alluring!”

Thankfully, Daisuke continued to walk, not reacting to the missing-nin’s curses and vulgar language. He led her above the bar to a room in the dark back and Chiasa let out some excited giggles. The brunet pushed her rather forcefully into the room, locking the door behind him and then turning around with a feral smirk. He’d finally take what was his and Nana would scream and beg.

Chiasa had situated herself on the large bed, pulling down the top of her kimono slightly and beckoning her target over with a coy smile on her bloodred lips.

Blissfully ignorant the man crawled to her, body towering over the petite kunoichi when Chiasa’s hand abruptly snaked around her target’s neck, plunging a poison covered senbon into his skin.

Mud-brown eyes widened in surprise before his breathing shuttered and the body went slack, giving Chiasa just enough time to roll over before her target collapsed.

“Finally,” she muttered, letting out an annoyed sigh.

Quickly, she situated her target on the bed so that at first glance, he appeared to be sleeping; it would give Yugao and her perhaps an hour or two more leeway. After making sure there were no traces of her person, she pulled out a few strands of hair out of the bun, smudged her lipstick slightly and lowered the kimono slightly, a quick glance in the wall mirror showed her that she looked like after a night full of excitement.

“Let’s get out of here.”

There was a window in the next room that would let her escape into a back alley where Yugao was waiting for her. Activating her sharingan, the Uchiha tiptoed to the door, unlocking it quietly. Her breath caught in her throat and a gasp left her lips as her entire body froze in shock.

Kakuzu looked just as caught off guard, though his gaze quickly darkened.

“Sharingan!” he growled but before he could attack, Chiasa had pulled her katana from the storage seal on her wrist, swiping it at the shinobi and then turning on her heels to flee. She had to fall to the ground as a fireball seared over her head closely followed by a lightning bolt. Inwardly cursing, the Uchiha replied with a fire dragon of her own, uncaring that she set the bar on fire; the panic would only help her to escape.

Without hesitation, she kicked down the adjacent room door, sprinting for the window when she was suddenly grabbed by the throat and slammed into a wall. Struggling to breathe, she tightly clutched the hand choking her, gasping: “Fuin.”

A small explosion followed, enough for Kakuzu to stumble back, loosening his grip.

Chiasa didn’t wait, flinging herself out of the nearby window, shattering it in the process; not that one more broken window would make a difference in the end. Mid-fly, she formed the signs for her personal genjutsu, pulse racing and blood pumping in her ears.

Suddenly, a long grey thread flew at her and she had barely the time to dodge, only managing to turn so that her cheek was the only part getting hurt. Pain bloomed through her face and she felt a drizzle of blood running down her face, but the Uchiha managed to land on her feet, nevertheless, only stumbling at the landing.

Out of the blue, Yugao was there, catching Chiasa before leaping into a continuing shunshin.

The two kunoichi continued to run, Chiasa layering genjutsu over genjutsu to keep the missing-nins of their track. Fumiko was flying above them, barely visible in the night sky.

“Status?” asked Yugao sharply, falling back into her ANBU role.

“Face injury, pulmonary contusion, probably damage to windpipe and voice box, target successfully eliminated but cover blown.”

Chiasa panted harshly, holding a hand against the cut on her check, trying to stop the bleeding.

“We’ll regroup at the next chance, try to hold on until then.” Yugao’s voice was tense as she ran next to her friend; she didn’t know what had gone wrong but the sight of Kakuzu of Takigakure was enough to get her running.

Two hours later, the small group took a much-needed break and Chiasa took the chance to bandage her cheek, the cut having been deeper than first assumed. There was nothing she could do for her throat and the way Yugao glanced at it with guilt and concern in her eyes was enough of a hint that dark bruises marred her light skin.

Now, with the mission over Chiasa wanted nothing more than to hug her brother and fall asleep surrounded by a comforting warmth, one that had been missing the entire time out of Konoha. When she was back in Kakashi’s apartment, she’d sleep for the next 24-hours and afterwards she’d buy the genin lunch, listening to what they had done over the last weeks.

“Let’s carry on,” the Uchiha said, not wanting to waste any more time.

She could do nothing more for her injuries and it would not be her first time to run in a kimono and geta.

Hesitantly, Yugao agreed, keeping a concerned eye on her friend the entire time. She did not want – under any circumstances – to be submitted to a team of worried genin and a feral Hatake. The purple-haired kunoichi didn’t have a lot to do with the last Hatake, but Jounin as well as Chunin were the greatest gossiper and the silver-haired Jounin had been one of the biggest topics for the last month. Guy had loudly proclaimed that his rival had become happier for some unknown reason, though, it was an open secret that the returned Uchiha kunoichi had something to do with it.

Nevertheless, it seemed as if the Uchiha aimed for complete exhaustion as she refused to take more than the absolute necessary breaks until they finally reached the village.

The speed had been brutal and Yugao suddenly realised why Chiasa’s ANBU team had been hailed as one of the best, just below Team Ro. Suddenly she found herself lucky that she had had only a handful of ANBU missions with her friend. It truly was bad luck that Chiasa’s ANBU team had been killed during a mission, shortly after she went on that long-term mission with her brother. Thoughtfully, Yugao eyed the other kunoichi. Did she even know what had happened to her team? It was hard to believe she didn’t.

* * *

They managed to reach Konoha after three days and Chiasa was at her end. Sleep deprivation, constant use of chakra and pushing her body to its limits made her slow and clumsy; the desire to rest more pressing than ever. Her hair was only loosely held together by the pretty hair ornament and she looked like straight out of a hurricane, the cut on her cheek was festering and poorly healing. It would leave a small scar if it wasn’t treated soon, but Chiasa didn’t particularly care.

Once upon a time she might have mourned the blemish on her skin but now it didn’t matter anymore. She was already broken and poorly patched up inside, what did it matter that her outside looked just as hideous? The large, scarred scar over her chest tugged painfully, it didn’t bother her most of the time but sometimes the phantom pains of claws covered in burning chakra stole her breath.

Yugao seemed to notice her poor attempt at covering he pain up, as the purple-haired kunoichi was immediately by her side, catching her arm and steadying her. Wordlessly, Chiasa gave her a faint smile.

When the gates of Konoha came into sight, she shook off Yugao’s steadying arm, not willing to show any weakness in front of Konoha. She’d be able to collapse in Kakashi’s apartment, reassured in the knowledge that Sasuke and Team 7 were alright, until then she’d keep going by willpower alone.

Izumo and Kotetsu simply waved them through, eyeing the Uchiha with concern and curiosity.

“What do you think happened?” wondered Kotetsu, watching the two kunoichi sprint over the rooftops always followed by the grey falcon.

“Not sure but Jounin don’t usually return in Kimonos, do they? I could barely recognise Chiasa-sama if not for her sharingan,” mused Izumo. “Team 7 isn’t back yet, right?”

His question caused his partner to freeze up, a cold shiver running down his spine. Uchiha Chiasa’s protectiveness of her little brother was legendary; another topic causing a lot of gossip; but something no shinobi nor kunoichi tried to get in-between if they valued their life.

“Well, shit,” drawled the spiky-haired Chunin. “Do you think Konoha will still be standing when she realises the little Uchiha isn’t in the village anymore?”

“…not sure…”

* * *

Impatiently, Chiasa knocked on the door to the Hokage Office, the secretary had tried to stop them but a single glare caused her to freeze and leave as fast as possible.

“Yes?”

The Hokage’s scruff voice echoed through the room and Chiasa didn’t hesitate to enter, steps as firm and powerful as ever and face pulled into a blank mask.

Hiruzen’s eyes widened slightly and he put down his pipe, folding his hands together. He had not anticipated to see the Uchiha before Team 7 returned from their C-turned-B-ranked mission.

“Chiasa, Yugao,” he greeted the kunoichi, taking in their roughed-up figure, attention wandering to the badly patched up injury on Chiasa’s face. “I assume the mission is complete. Report.”

There was a coldness on the ebony-haired kunoichi’s face that wasn’t there before.

“We located our target, Sota Daisuke, in a town in the Land of Lightning. The target had gathered 5 A- and B-ranked individuals from the Bingo Book as well as the S-ranked shinobi Kakuzu of Takigakure and Hidan. We waited seven days for backup, but the target planned to leave at the next day, so we moved forward. I went undercover, successfully poisoning the target when Kakuzu blew my cover and it came to a fight. Yugao and I managed to escape and lose any potential pursuer. We returned immediately.”

Frowning, Hiruzen listened to the mission report. He had not received a request for backup from the team, nor had he known that the mission had reached ANBU level. It was concerning that there had been a breach in their conversation.

“I see,” mused the old Hokage. “God job you two, your pay will change accordingly. You’re free to go and get checked in the hospital, I might call you back at a later time but for now you’re done.”

Yugao bowed quickly, glancing worriedly at the other kunoichi but still left in the end.

Hiruzen waited for the woman to speak, inwardly tense and reluctant to answer any questions she might have.

“Where is my brother and Team 7?”

Chiasa was exhausted, a headache splitting her mind and stealing her of the ability to speak as eloquently as fitting for a Clan Head.

“I can’t feel his chakra signature nor Hatake’s anywhere in the village.”

Clearing his throat, Hiruzen explained with a placid smile: “Team 7 received a C-rank mission to the Land of Wave a day after you left for the Land of Lightning. They have yet to return and won’t for another couple of days.”

Cold.

That’s what it felt like when Chiasa realised the meaning behind Hiruzen’s calm words; it was like a wave of freezing cold water was trying to drown her, but it was soon replaced by an untamed fire. The flames that had simmered lowly ever since she had stepped foot into the village rose furiously.

“Excuse me, Hokage-sama,” her voice was strained, barely holding back the desire to lash out and leave behind a trail of blood and ashes. “You have sent my brother and two other genin – children that left the Academy only months ago – with only one Jounin into a country with unstable economy and a tyrannic leadership? As first mission out of the village, nevertheless? Do you not have advisors informing you about the political situation in the different lands? You should consider firing that person, if you have one, Hokage-sama. Now, I am very sorry to cut our delightful meeting short, but unfortunately, I have to leave to reach my little brother, preferable before he runs headfirst into a political shitstorm.”

Hiruzen watched powerlessly as the enraged kunoichi flung herself out the window, sprinting over the rooftops with a speed that should not be possible for the exhausted Uchiha.

Love really made people break their limits…

“How can you let that brat talk to you like that?”

The old Hokage turned back, eyeing his old friend tiredly.

“The Will of Fire still burns in her even if she hides it beneath anger. I have taken so much from her all in the name of peace, when she gave her all to Konoha; I can’t do more. As long as she doesn’t turn on us, I will let her be.”

Danzo scowled, turning away to exit the office. He had nothing more to say to the coward that was his old friend.

“You’ve gone weak, old friend. You would even lay down defencelessly if the Uchiha brat came to get her revenge on you. Fortunately, I have already taken care of it.”

A mis-ranked mission would only be the beginning…

* * *

_‘That’s Sakura’s voice! What’s happening? What the hell is sensei doing?! If this keeps up, we’ll all be in serious trouble. I’ve got to do something, but I promised Nee-san…’_

Biting his lip, Sasuke pulled himself to his feet again, glancing worriedly at his blond teammate that didn’t look to well.

It had all begun so well, Kakashi-sensei had trained them hard, they had almost finished the bridge and hence the mission, but then Naruto had overslept, and they had gone to the bridge without him. It would have been their last day of construction work and in a couple of days, he would have had his sister back. Then out of nowhere, Zabuza and the Hunter-nin appeared, engaging them in battle. Sakura had stayed back to protect their client, though she did help him with her genjutsu skills and throwing shuriken, but that left him with the Hunter-nin when Kakashi fought Zabuza.

At first, he had been able to stand his ground, even managing to injury the shinobi slightly despite having only one functioning arm, but then he had used a kekkei genkai, one that he had never encountered before, and trapped him in a prison of ice mirrors. The boy was incredible skilled with senbon and Sasuke could hardly escape all of them.

When it looked almost hopeless – Kakashi couldn’t get rid of his opponent, nor could Sakura leave their client unprotected – Naruto had appeared out of thin air and he had never felt more relieved. That was until the idiot decided to join him in the prison instead of breaking it from the outside. That was the moment Sasuke had wanted to strangle the blond.

The Hunter-nin had then continued his assault and with two targets, more of his senbon hit their target and now they were both bleeding and panting for air.

“You move well,” the shinobi praised from one of his mirrors. “but my next assault will take you down!”

Uchiha Sasuke had always kept his promises to his sister and brother, he had always done everything to make them proud and he had always listened to their advice. They had always been there for him, but now he was on his own and he would not - could not – give up.

 _‘Sorry, Nee-san,’_ he apologized in his mind for all the trouble he’d cause her, but he also knew she’d understand.

Red bled into his eyes, making his vision sharper and turning his surroundings into slow motion. When the next shower of senbon came, he was ready.

“I see… you, too, share the legacy of a kekkei genkai bloodline!” said Haku determined. “I can’t let this fight go on! My own art forces me to expend a great deal of chakra, so there is a limit to how long I can go on using it. And I’m certain that the longer our duel drags on the greater your ability to perceive my movements will become! Especially since, to a certain extent, you can already see me now!”

The ice user was impressed by the powers the raven-haired boy had shown so far, but his master trusted him to finish the job. Though, why he had the feeling he had forgotten something important, he didn’t know.

“Time to bring this to an end!”

Sasuke watched the senbon in slow motion calmly when a coldness clutched his heart and he moved faster than ever before. He would not watch anyone else die, he would not be the one left behind to pick up the shattered pieces, never again!

* * *

Groaning, Naruto straightened up. Everything hurt so damn much!

“Sheesh… you’re okay, Naruto?”

Relieved, the blond looked at his teammate when his entire being was filled with fear. Hundreds of senbon sticked out of Sasuke’s body, a body that was shielding him.

“Now get that lame expression off your stupid face, usuratonkachi!” muttered Sasuke, slightly choking on his own blood.

“Wh-why…”

With fear-widened eyes, Naruto gazed at the other boy, shock and disbelieve filling him.

“Why…Why did you?! Why me…?” he shouted desperately. “You should have just minded your own business!”

Thick blood filled his throat and Sasuke spit it out, tears burning in his eyes as he fought for every breath. The blond was truly an idiot if he still didn’t know that Sasuke would protect him and Sakura just as desperately as Chiasa-nee and Kakashi-sensei.

“How should I know? My body just … moved on its own!”

Suddenly, his strength left him, and his body collapsed, but he didn’t hit the cold ground like he had predicted. Strong arms caught him, holding him tightly. Forcing his eyes open, Sasuke gazed up at his blond teammate, watching as tears filled his eyes.

“Nee-san…” Sasuke weakly clutched Naruto’s shirt, holding on to it as strong as he could. “Promise me…Naruto…promise to look after her…make sure she still smiles…don’t let her break…Chiasa, she… I love her…”

“Oi, teme!” Panic filled Naruto and his voice was trembling as he growled: “Don’t you dare give up now! I’m not telling Chiasa-nee anything, you can do it yourself!”

Smirking slightly, Sasuke didn’t fight the tiredness anymore, he couldn’t. He was tired and everything hurt too much… Perhaps, he’d see his mother and father again… He missed his mother… He’d tell her all about Chiasa, how she had been so strong, how she had raised him, how she had sacrificed everything for him…

Something shattered inside of Naruto as he felt Sasuke take his last breath and all of the sudden, red chakra surrounded him and he gave in to the bottomless hatred.

“I’m gonna kill you!”

Naruto bared his fangs, cradling the lifeless raven-haired boy to his chest as the ice user shunshined in front of them.

“Stay away!” snarled the blond, red eyes pulled into furious thin slits.

Haku slowly lifted his mask, hands always where the enraged genin could see them. Dread had filled him when listening to the two genin and even though, every instinct in him screamed to bring distance between him and the blond, he needed information. If his guess was right, they were doomed and nothing the genin and his appalling chakra could do to him would be worse than the consequences.

“Your friend,” he said softly, a tension underlaying his voice. “What’s his name?”

When Naruto only snarled and hissed like a wild beast, he tried again, this time more desperate.

“Is he Uchiha Ryuu? The little brother of Uchiha Chi?”

Suddenly, a pink-haired fury was on him, pounding him into the floor and growling: “His name is Sasuke, you bastard! And Chiasa-nee will kill you if Kakashi-sensei doesn’t first!”

Haku prided himself for his ability to be calm and composed at all times but when confronted with the truth that he and Zabuza-sama had been fighting and – he winced when his eyes met the bandaged wrist of the unconscious boy – injuring Chi-nee’s little brother, his face twisted into a grimace of terrifying fear.

“Kami!” he whispered, snapped out of his thoughts by another powerful punch from the pink-haired menace.

Quickly, he brought some distance between himself and the enraged genin, the sounds of the Copycat and Zabuza’s fighting echoing through the mist.

“He’s alive!” shouted Haku, dark eyes widening as a fist surrounded by red-orange chakra raced towards his face, stopping only millimetres before.

The ice user used that moment of hesitation to kawamari away, sprinting towards his master, attempting to salvage what was possible. His eyes widened in shock as he noticed a lightning jutsu aiming for Zabuza and without hesitation, he tackled his master, pulling him to the floor.

“The boy is Ryuu! Chi-nee’s brother, Zabuza-sama!” he exclaimed quickly, breathing heavily.

Zabuza’s face went as white as freshly fallen snow.

“Shit.”

Kakashi stood there dumbfounded, hand still outstretched with a dying Chidori, as the Demon of the Mist stumbled to his feet again, helping the false Hunter-nin up an looking every bit terrified.

“Listen, Copycat. We’re both shinobi and you know how it is, so no hard feelings, okay?! Haku and I will stay away from your client, actually, we’ll leave Wave country itself I heard Snow country was nice in this season, so I’d really, really appreciate it if you wouldn’t tell Chi that we fought you. The boy is fine, only unconscious. He’ll be a bit sore but that’s it, I swear! Haku refused to kill him, so yeah. I’m sorry about his wrist, too, could you, I don’t know, say he tripped? I-”

A grey falcon with gleaming eyes swiped down between them, letting out an ear-shattering screech.

Perplexed, Kakashi watched as tears gathered in his not-enemy eyes and he whispered: “Oh shit, she’s here.”

In all honesty, Kakashi could understand the frantic expression on Zabuza’s face, feeling the same dark terror as a rush of cold wind and the distinct smell of ash embraced them.

A red and black blur jumped down between them and Kakashi had only a second to glance at furious sharingan eyes before a fist hit his face, throwing him back.

“You!” Chiasa hissed, eyes ablaze with fury, not exactly sure which of the Jounin she meant.

A pained howl pulled her eyes to the shuffle of children; her throat was suddenly as dry as the desserts of Suna and she didn’t hesitate to run over, falling to her knees. Her cold fingers pulled down her brother’s collar, analysing the senbon sticking out of his body, uncaring about the biju’s chakra burning her skin. Even through a haze she could recognise Haku’s handy work.

“It’s okay, Naruto, Sakura. Sweethearts, it’s alright. Sasuke is alive,” she cooed, pulling the mourning jinchuuriki into her arms, at the same time commanding her chakra to invade the child’s chakra system, shutting down his connection to the raging biju inside. She was incredible grateful to Kaya-san’s lessons on fuinjutsu…

Having calmed the jinchuuriki slightly, she pulled the battered kunoichi into her arms as well, now that she couldn’t be hurt by the corrosive chakra, pressing a gentle kiss into her hair.

“You did all so well.”

Then she stood back up, pulling Haku into her arms too, petting his hair gently.

“You’re just as gentle as ever, Haku. Don’t ever lose it.”

When she was certain, the children were slightly calmer, she turned back to the Jounin.

“Chi, so nice to see you again,” laughed Zabuza hysterically.

Snatching the collars of the taller shinobi effortlessly, the ebony-haired kunoichi pulled them down to her height.

“I haven’t slept in about three weeks, I’ve been running non-stop from Kumo to Konoha and then to here, just returned from a shit assassination mission, fought fucking Kakauzu and I’m way past simple exhaustion. Now, I’m going to collapse in about 2 seconds and when I’m up again, I want all four children, fed and rested and with ten hours of sleep, sitting in your client’s house, Hatake. And then we’ll have a chat about why Sasuke’s wrist is broken and why the fuck you left without me!”

All of the sudden, the Uchiha’s body went slack und Kakashi had only the fraction of a second to catch her before she’d hit the ground.

His activated sharingan seared the sight of the pale kunoichi in his mind, the nasty cut on her cheek with every little detail, the way the torn kimono hugged her body speaking of a mission he didn’t want to think off. His heart was racing for some reason as he lifted her into his arms, holding her as tight but gentle as possible.

The Jounin was still angry with her but seeing her collapse was terrifying. He never ever wanted to see the Uchiha like that again, never wanted to experience the cold of losing pack again. When he was certain the kunoichi was safely tucked into his arms, flat and fast-paced breaths but nevertheless breathing – nevertheless alive – he looked around, eyes stopping at the sight of his genin, closely huddled together around a slightly dazed raven-haired boy, the false Hunter-nin- Haku – enveloped in the shuffle as well. His kids were battered and bruised, clothes torn in some places and even from the distance he could see the tear tracks on Sakura’s pale face and the haunted look in Naruto’s eyes, turning them a dark blue.

All the Jounin wanted to do right now was to scoop up his pack – not team, because they had crossed the line between comrades and pack a while ago even if the children didn’t know and Kakashi would never admit it out loud – and hide them, protect them and heal them.

There had been a time, Kakashi had believed he had lost his Hatake heritage for ever, the inner born instincts of a wolf, of a pack animal, and he hadn’t mourned the loss. He still didn’t know if he’d be any good in protecting his pack but he’d fight – feral, vicious and untameable – until his last breath, he’d go down before any of his pack would fall and he’d take any threat with him to the pits of hell.

It was in those dark thoughts that he accidentally bit his lip, the metallic taste of blood ripping him back into reality and the realisation that he should have left the bridge long ago.

Whilst he had been caught up in his mind, Zabuza’s ex-client, Gato, had arrived at the bridge, a group of money-lusting thugs at his beck and call.

A feral growl left Kakashi’s throat and the gleam in his mismatched eyes caused goosebumps on Zabuza’s arm. Wordlessly, the Hatake crossed the small distance to the shuffle of genin, giving them a tight smile even though he was sure they couldn’t see it through his ask but hoping the steel in his eyes was enough reassurance. Gently, he laid the unconscious kunoichi next to them, putting his Jounin vest over her without really thinking about it.

“She’s alright, just exhausted,” he explained, voice rough. “Give me a minute and then we’ll leave.”

In the next second the silver-haired Jounin was in the middle of the group of thugs, not waiting for any bullshit from Gato as he cut off his head in seconds before tearing through the rest of the group. From the other end, Zabuza had joined the slaughter, waving Kubikiribocho easily around. When they were done, Kakashi’s hands were once again drenched in red, sticky blood though this time he didn’t mind. The villagers of Wave stood on the other end of the bridge, armed with forks and sticks, now looking slightly sick at the sight in front of them.

However, Kakashi couldn’t really bring himself to care about them right now, feeling the first signs of exhaustion. He really had slacked off since leaving ANBU and that simply wouldn’t do now that he had a pack to protect.

Without wasting more precious time, he picked up the Uchiha again, sparring a wary glance at Haku, who had looked after her with Sakura, and motioned his genin to get up.

Sakura and Naruto were quick to help their other teammate to his feet and even when Sasuke stood firmly – still a bit pale faced and erratic at the sight of his sister – they refused to leave his side, clinging to him with a desperation Kakashi knew all to well; it was the same fear driven desperation he had clung to to Rin after Obito’s death.

“You know,” Kakashi muttered, glancing wistfully at the ebony-haired kunoichi in his arms and back at the Demon of the Mist. “You could still leave before she wakes up. I’m quite certain she’s going to be too busy with tearing me apart to search for you.”

Although Kakashi had reluctantly admitted to himself that Chiasa was a part of his pack, now with his mind a bit clearer after the stress-relief of fighting, he realised that the Uchiha might not see him in the same way, especially if he considered the way she had appeared, obviously just having returned form a mission and confronted with the fact that her brother was not where she had left him. The memory of it restarted his own irritation at the withhold of information.

A low laugh left Zabuza as he held a cloth against the bleeding cut on his arm, Haku dutifully doting on the shinobi.

“Not a chance. If you believe for even a moment, Chiasa won’t hunt me down for hurting her precious brother, you’re dumber than I thought, Copycat. Now let’s get back to your client’s house before she wakes up and guts us.”

Kakashi considered his reply for a moment, before shrugging and herding his genin back to Tazuna’s home.


	11. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, everyone! I've finally had time for an update and now that we have a lockdown again, new chapters will come faster. 
> 
> I'd really like to know what you think about the story so far, so leave a comment, please!
> 
> Question: So, KakashixChiasa is obviously the main paring with NaruSasu as side pairing, but what about Sakura? 
> 
> I thought either GaaSaku or SakuIno or just leaving her single, what do you think? I'm also considering ItaKisa in later chapters, but let me know what you think.
> 
> Stay all safe and healthy and inside!
> 
> Stella xx

Chiasa didn’t wake gently like she had done once a very long time ago, but instead like a shinobi: one moment out in blissful ignorance, the next fully alert, sharingan eyes taking in the foreign room in a fraction of a second and only slightly relaxing when she noticed Sasuke – her precious, beloved little brother, her anchor, her last sanity – next to her bed, looking up at her through worried-scared eyes.

“Nee-san,” the boy whispered hoarsely, eyes glazing over with unshed tears.

Without thinking, Chiasa pulled her brother into her arms, ignoring the way her entire body protested in utter agony, how the aftereffects of chakra exhaustion made her feel more fatigued than usual, pressing desperate kisses on his forehead and hair.

“You’re okay, you’re good, you’re alive, I’m here…” she muttered frantically, the fear that had been overshadowed by anger breaking to the surface. “I’m never leaving you alone again, Sasu. I swear by Amaterasu I won’t leave your side again. I will not lose you too.”

The Uchiha Clan Head would never admit that it took her almost half an hour before she was ready to let go of her brother, and even then, it was only because she could feel the chakra signature of the other shinobi in the house moving towards their room.

Chiasa scanned her brother again only to bite her lips harshly. She didn’t know how she could have been so out off it as to not notice that her little brother was hurt, the way he hid his arm behind his body from her rang every alarm bell in her head. A coldness clutched her heart and panic flowed through her veins as she tried to desperately keep her composure, lest she’d break down again.

“What happened?” she growled, harsher than she had meant to, but right now it took all of her strength to keep the rising panic at bay.

Sasuke chanced a glance at his bandaged wrist – Haku had given him some herbs to ease the pain and help with the swelling – before taking his sister’s trembling hand into his uninjured one.

“I’m okay, Nee-san,” he told her insistently, his dark eyes trying to convey that he was truly okay, that he wouldn’t simply disappear into thin air, that he would not leave her alone. “It happened in our first fight against Zabuza, Kakashi-sensei was caught by Zabuza, and Naruto and I were a distraction whilst Sakura freed Sensei and I wasn’t careful enough. I…”

Suddenly, the room door opened, and a silver-haired head glanced warily inside, eyeing the Uchiha siblings tensely.

There was nothing Sasuke could have done to prevent the next events, other than putting himself into mortal danger so his sister’s focus would be on him again, but he doubted that would be helpful in this situation.

* * *

Her brother’s voice had calmed the raging fire inflamed by fear when a flash of silver invaded her sight, and it was like something inside of her snapped.

In a matter of seconds, she had flung herself out of the blankets, pushed Sasuke behind her and thrown herself at the silver-haired Jounin.

Kakashi was so surprised that he stumbled backwards, landing harshly on his back.

Ignoring the way her body screamed in protest, Chiasa reeled back, slamming her fist into the Hatake’s face.

“I’ve trusted you to protect him!” she snarled, unaware of the watching eyes of the other occupants of the house.

Naruto and Sakura stared wide-eyed at the fight in front of them, at how their sensei flung the kunoichi over, holding her hands tightly together.

It didn’t take Zabuza long to act, ushering the children outside and away from the adults before they would see something that they shouldn’t have. A single glance at Chi’s face had been enough to know that the woman was not in control of herself. The last time he had seen that crazed predatory gleam in her eyes that reminded him of a wild animal, she had ripped the other guy’s head off with her bare hands. He doubted that the Copycat would let it come that far but the children didn’t need to watch any of it; they had proven to him already that they were worthy of being called shinobi and perhaps, Chi would show mercy to him, when she realised, he had protected the children from the fight. Otherwise, he’d probably join the other guy in the afterlife if the kunoichi already attacked the Copycat - that hadn’t even touched her brother - with such viciousness.

Kakashi let Chiasa have one punch before using his height and weight to pin down the furious kunoichi.

“You didn’t trust me enough to tell me that Sasuke already had his first kill!” growled Kakashi, irritated by the accusation. “And what’s up with his reaction to the smell of alcohol?”

For a brief moment Chiasa’s heart stopped beating, before racing twice as fast. Flashes of dark hair sticky with blood, pale skin blemished with grim and eyes like pools of ink, devouring light in their intensity, turning dimmer with every passing second, darted before her mind. Of a pulse becoming slower and slower until it was barely there. Of small, cold fingers grasping for her wrist so very afraid of letting go. Of a voice – brittle, weak and so scared – calling for her. Of – Harshly she shut memories out.

Outwardly, all fight left her, and she suddenly lay still beneath the Hatake, skin as white as snow and sharingan eyes wide open.

“You’ve let some drunkard near him?” Chiasa whispered toneless.

She was too caught up in her own feelings, imprisoned by her own fears, and Kakashi was too out of touch with human emotions to recognise that they needed to stop before words and actions could not be taken back.

“What’s so bad about it?” asked the Jounin, loosening his grip slightly, not wanting the kunoichi to bruise.

Fear was not something she could allow herself to be led by, even when it was so strong sometimes; so Chiasa searched for that fire, that never extinguishing anger that gave her strength, had given her strength ever since the first time she had used her hands to snuff out a life, and pulled, pulled until it was all she felt.

Hatake’s weakness was easily exploited and the ebony-haired kunoichi managed to throw the Jounin off of her.

It was instinct for the Uchiha to crouch down in front of the only door leading to her little brother, baring her teeth and snarling: “It’s none of your business, Hatake!”

She could not allow herself to be drowned by her own memories!

“You should have never left without me! Did you even think for one second that, perhaps I have enemies that Konoha doesn’t know off? Shinobi that are stronger than yourself and myself and have been waiting like hungry rats for the opportunity to hurt me by killing Sasuke?!”

“Then you should have just told me!”

“Use your head, you dumb idiot! I’m a fucking S-rank assassin and have been on the run for the last five years! I’ve been in the Bingo Book since I was eleven! Obviously, I have enemies that want to see me and my loved one’s dead! And clearly you don’t care enough about the genin! What would have happened if Haku hadn’t aimed for incapacity but to kill? Sasuke would be dead by now! My beloved little brother would have died before I could be there because of you!”

Her words cut deep, deeper than Kakashi had thought possible. He couldn’t reply because he knew Chiasa was right. His student would have died on their first mission out of the village and it would have been his fault. A coldness filled his entire being and all tension left his body as he pulled back, defeated.

There were no more words exchanged between the Jounin as Kakashi shunshinned away and Chiasa stepped outside in search of the rogue mist shinobi. Her fight with Hatake had exhausted her, fear having broken her determination, but she needed to talk to Zabuza and see the other children before returning to her brother.

“Oi, is the copycat still alive, Chi? Or have you ripped the poor guy into pieces?”

Zabuza sat crisscrossed in front of a tree, Kubikiribocho leaned behind him, as he watched the children talking amicable about different herbs and their healing factors; he hadn’t seen Haku so happy and content since they had last seen Chi two years ago.

The kunoichi let herself fall next to him but not before giving him a chilling glare and a snarl that dared him to say anymore if he didn’t want to be torn apart.

* * *

Kakashi had returned in the evening but had kept his distance to the children and Chiasa, something that the genin couldn’t quite understand. They were not blind to the coldness between their two senseis, Sasuke had told his teammates about the fight but nothing they tried could bring the two Jounin to talk with each other.

The genin cherished the time spent with Haku and Zabuza after the initial wariness, for once they were free of the chains of their home village. Sasuke didn’t have the pressure of his clan looming over him, Naruto wasn’t the village outcast and Sakura did not need to hide her true self beneath the mask of a gentle, soft civilian girl. Never mind, that the young Uchiha used the time efficiently by pestering the Demon of the Mist until the shinobi gave in and taught him some tricks with his sword that Sasuke could also do one handed – his wrist was still wrapped in bandages after all.

When the time to separate came, none of the children were elated to go back to Konoha. Not only did they not want to part from their new friends, but also the adults of their team still didn’t talk to each other.

Kakashi had started training them, just like Chiasa, though where there had been laughs, gentle teasing and loving touches - a pat on the shoulder, a gentle ruffle through the hair, a soft kiss on the forehead – before, there was now nothing and the genin suffered from it. Chiasa acted like the silver-haired Jounin didn’t exist and Kakashi didn’t do anything to stop it, isolating himself again. The genin didn’t know that their sensei was in constant pain, his instincts – his inner wolf – yowling for his pack to come back.

* * *

Team 7 reached Konoha after a week of travelling in uncomfortable silence. Even the gate guards, Izumo and Kotetsu, that weren’t longer than a few minutes in their presence eyed the worriedly. The kunoichi hadn’t looked good when she had returned from her first mission but now, she looked close to certain death with deep purple eye bags, skin glistening with sweat and dull sharingan eyes, though the nasty cut on her cheek was healed thanks to Sakura.

“The Hokage is waiting for you, he’s not happy that you left without notice, Uchiha-sama,” warned Izumo the woman but her cold glare left him trembling.

“I did give him a notice,” replied Chiasa sharply. “I even gave him the advice to fire his advisors. Never mind, I’ll see him after Sasuke was in the hospital.”

The ebony-haired kunoichi didn’t care that she left the Chunin behind or that the Hatake had left once they entered Konoha, all that was on her mind was to get her beloved brother into the hospital and rid him of the bandage that was like a slap in the face every time she so much as glanced at it.

“Naruto, Sakura, come on. You need to get checked as well. I don’t want to risk anything.”  
  


Gently, Chiasa pushed the genin in front of her, herding them determined to the hospital. For Naruto it was the first time someone cared enough to make sure he went to the hospital, so the blond loved to drown himself in the gushing of the kunoichi. Not even the receptionist’s glare could dampen his mood, that could also be because Chiasa had given her a nasty glare.

They didn’t have to wait long, actually, they didn’t have to wait at all for a doctor to come hurrying to them. Sasuke’s wrist was easily healed and soon the group was on their way to the Hokage Tower, though Chiasa would have liked to send the children straight home. However, they needed to hand in their report. The secretary, however, didn’t allow them to enter, saying that their sensei had already taken care of everything and sent them on their way.

After accompanying Sakura home, Chiasa followed the two boys tensely as Naruto clung to Sasuke. Ever since the fight on the bridge, the blond had stuck to the other boy’s side like a leech and every time Sasuke was out of sight, Chiasa noticed the blond tensed and grew anxious. It wasn’t a rare occurrence for shinobi to cling to their mission partner after or during a difficult mission, but it could grow unhealthy if not watched. Though, for now Chiasa would let the boys be, she was the last one that could talk about unhealthy coping mechanism. In front of Naruto’s rundown apartment, the small group stopped and the blond jinchuuriki skidded nervously back and forth.

“So, thanks for bringing me home, Chiasa-nee, Teme,” said Naruto with a wavering voice, though he did try to plaster a bright smile on his face. “I guess I’ll see you tomorrow, dattebayo!”

In contrast to his words, the blond held on to Sasuke’s wrist with a desperate want.

“Naruto.”

The genin stared at Chiasa with a fearful expression. In an attempt to calm the blond child, she smiled gently, letting her eyes soften.

“Would it be okay if Sasuke and I stay with you tonight?”

The way both boys brightened and lightened up as if Chiasa had fulfilled their greatest wish was heart-warming.

“Of course, dattebayo!”

With new strength Naruto pulled the siblings into his apartment. For a moment, he was afraid Chiasa would take it back when she noticed the state of his apartment, the dirty laundry, half eaten ramen cups, broken furniture and poorly cleaned slur words marring his walls. He didn’t notice that his grip around Sasuke’s hand tightened, as an embarrassed blush covered his face.

“’s not very good, I’ll clean up – “

“Oi, dobe, it’s fine,” muttered Sasuke and tugged on his wrist.

Chiasa squeezed Naruto’s shoulder gently, not wanting him to see the anger in her eyes. It was an embarrassment, a slander to anyone who called themselves a citizen of Konoha: The way an orphan boy, the son of the revered Yondaime Hokage and the last Whirlpool princess was treated like a criminal.

“Don’t worry Naruto. How about you and Sasu take a quick shower and get ready for bed while I make dinner?”

A genuine smile grazed Naruto’s face and he pulled Sasuke into the small bedroom as Chiasa turned back to the kitchen, determined to make a nice dinner for the boys and keep her thoughts from wandering to a certain silver-haired Jounin. Admittedly, she was not the best cook – her kitchen skills were limited to scrambled eggs and onigiri – but she could handle dinner. … she was wrong. After a failed attempt at Miso soup, the ebony-haired kunoichi decided that instant ramen would be a filling dinner.

As Naruto entered the kitchen in his pyjama and panda night cap to the sight of Chiasa and Sasuke sitting around his small dinner table with steaming cups of ramen, he couldn’t help as his eyes glazed over and he let out a quiet sob before smiling brighter than the sun itself. They looked like a family! He was no longer alone!

Dinner was a rather loud affair with Naruto telling the siblings about his pranks, but it quieted down when Naruto and Sasuke had crashed on the blond’s small bed. It was at this point as Chiasa kissed his forehead lovingly and tucked the blanket around him, that Naruto burst into tears.

The Uchiha jumped back startled, afraid that she had hurt the little sunshine somehow and Sasuke sat back up hastily.

“Naruto?” wondered Chiasa hesitantly as the child frantically wiped his tears away only to wail louder.

“I’m sorry!” the boy sobbed, shaking uncontrollably until Chiasa pulled him into her arms, holding him tightly to her chest and rubbing soothing circles on his back.

“None of that, sweetheart.”

Sasuke leaned tightly into the embrace as well, grasping for Naruto’s hand to squeeze it tightly.

“Tell me what’s wrong.”

“I’m-” a sob racked Naruto’s small body and he pressed himself even more into the warm arms of the Uchiha. “I’m just so happy! I’ve always wanted a goodnight kiss, so thank you, Chiasa-nee!”

Chiasa’s heart ached at the longing in the child’s eyes and she swore to herself, she’d do anything to never see that vulnerability in his eyes again. Naruto did not deserve what the village had done to him and it would take years for the child to heal from the pain of neglect and betrayal. She could not heal him at once, but she could be there for every step on his path of recovery; the world would need to burn itself before she’d leave the blond Uzumaki again and even then, she would not be stopped.

“Naruto,” she uttered his name softly as she turned a bit to hold both of her precious boys in her arms. “I want to tell you a story, okay? But you have to promise me not to tell anyone else.”

Fumiko, having watched dutifully over her partner and the hatchlings ever since they had left the Land of Waves, subconsciously sharpened her claws whenever she thought about the stupid humans that treated her hatchling like trash, but as her partner settled down into a more comfortable position – a determined gleam in her sharingan eyes – she moved towards one of the small windows, staring into the darkness fiercely. She’d keep them save as her partner finally broke the rules that had made her so unhappy.

Both children peered up excited at the mention of a story and Naruto nodded frantically; he’d never heard one of Chiasa-nee’s stories but by the way Sasuke’s face brightened he figured they’d be amazing, just like her forehead kisses…

“Good,” Chiasa tried to keep the pain and anguish out of her voice as she began to tell a tale that should have never been forgotten.

“Once upon a time, there was a kunoichi in Konoha that I called my oba-san. She was on my mother’s genin team and was also her best friend, so it wasn’t a surprise that Kaa-san named her my godmother.”

There was a longing in his sister’s eyes that Sasuke had only ever seen in the nights that Chiasa had told him stories about their family. His thoughts drifted to the photograph in Asami-san’s house and the pretty red-haired kunoichi before listening again attentively.

“My oba-san wasn’t born in Konoha but in a place called Uzushio in the Land of Whirlpool and she moved to Konoha when she was ten, I think. Her clan was famous for their bright red hair, massive chakra stores and borderline crazy obsession with ramen.”

Naruto’s jaw dropped and he scrunched up his nose thoughtfully.

“Ramen?” he whispered unsurely but relaxed as Chiasa carefully scratched the top of his head.

“Oba-san’s hair was as red as rubies and when the light was right it looked like fire. I especially remember her gorgeous violet eyes. Anyway, oba-san married a kind Konoha shinobi shortly before the end of the Third Shinobi World War, who she had known since her Academy days. She was a fierce kunoichi, a force to be reckoned on the battlefield and even had the nickname the Red Hot-Blooded Habanero. If I remember correctly, she had a flee-on-sight order in the Bingo Book. Her clan specialized in fuinjutsu and like every member before her, she excelled in the art, that’s something she had in common with her husband. Oh, and she was also a kenjutsu master and gifted me my first tanto on my fifth birthday. Tou-san wasn’t impressed but oba-san didn’t care. She never really cared what others thought about her. She was really headstrong, eccentric, stubborn and her temper was legendary. Once, she had punched a cousin of the Daimyo because he had slapped her butt and it took four Jounin to tear her from the poor fool.”

At that the children giggled, imagining the scene.

“Even so, she was very kind. When oba-san was young, her entire birth village and clan was destroyed by Kiri and Iwa because they were afraid of their power. Kaa-san told me that every year on the same day, oba-san lightened up a lantern for every fallen citizen of Uzushio. Oba-san was also the first one to enter the fallen village because in his last minutes the Uzukage raised a barrier that could only be entered by an Uzumaki, so oba-san was the first one to see her fallen home. She didn’t let anyone enter until she had buried every single victim at the heart of Uzushio and she was only a child at that time.”

“Why don’t they lighten the lanterns anymore?” asked Sasuke curiously as he had never heard or seen such event.

Chiasa smiled sadly, answering: “Uzushio and Konoha were sister villages ever since their founding and as their ally, Konoha had failed them terribly. After oba-san no one wanted to remember their biggest mistake and so it was forgotten.”

“That’s really sad,” mused Naruto, staring at her with wide, innocent eyes.

“Yes, it is. One of oba-san’s greatest dreams was to become Hokage and the other was to become a mother. When she found out that she was pregnant – I was 9 at that time – she was so, so happy. She couldn’t stop smiling for days, nor did she ever stop talking about her baby, already loving him so deeply that it hurt. She never wanted him to have a harsh and cruel life and I know that if she had had the chance, she would have smothered her baby in love and affection. Naruto, do you know what a jinchuuriki is?”

Chiasa knew she was already treading on thin ice but if the blond already knew, it would be alright – probably.

A dark expression crossed Naruto’s face before he looked away, muttering: “Yeah. It’s someone containing a biju.”

“Hmm,” she hummed agreeingly. “Oba-san once was the jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi.”

“She was like me?” exclaimed Naruto overwhelmed, forgetting for a moment that he hadn’t told the Uchiha what he was. Fearfully, he glanced at them, ready to flee or apologise but Chiasa only squeezed his shoulder and Sasuke looked surprised for a moment before shrugging and nestling his head back against Naruto’s shoulder.

“Yes; oba-san was like you.”

“You don’t hate me?”

“Those who hate you are blind, Naruto. Don’t take anything they say to your heart, okay?”

Chiasa only continued when Naruto nodded his head slightly.

“At the day of her baby’s birth, something went wrong and the Kyuubi broke out of his seal, attacking Konoha. I don’t know what exactly happened, but oba-san and her husband sacrificed their lives for Konoha. Oba-san was too weak to hold the Kyuubi again, so her husband sealed him into the only person they could trust. I know oba-san never wanted her baby to bear the burden of a jinchuuriki.”

Naruto had become silent, heart racing and eyes wide open in disbelieve with a touch of desperation.

Gently, Chiasa pushed a strand of sun kissed hair from the jinchuuriki’s face and whispered: “Her name was Uzumaki Kushina, the last Whirlpool princess and she loved you more than life itself, my little prince.”

* * *

That night, Uchiha Chiasa witnessed once again as a son mourned for the loss of his family, a prince grieved for his fallen kingdom and a child cried for what would never be.

* * *

The next days were hard for everyone but none of them knew that it was only the beginning.

Naruto clung to his team with even more desperation, not that anyone really minded. For Sasuke it was nice to have someone other than his sister, someone who knew the pain of losing everything in one night as well.

Sakura threw herself into training, resolute in her goal to protect her team the next time they faced danger. It had only been by chance that one early morning she had met a Jounin clad in a horrible green spandex and his miniature clone, who was actually his genin and not his son, like Sakura had first thought. From than one she met up with the duo in the morning, joining their routine. Somehow, her Jounin-sensei didn’t seem to be too pleased to hear she was training with Gai-san.

But the wave mission had not only shaken the children but also the adults of Team 7.

Since returning, Chiasa hadn’t stepped foot into the Hatake’s apartment despite the few possessions she had left there, nor did she really talk to him.

And Kakashi … Kakashi had slowly retreated back into the person he had been before Team 7 and it had only been a question of time until the Jounin demanded an ANBU mission, leaving the village in the middle of the night only to return in the morning to train his team.

That his apartment wasn’t locked whenever he left or that he stared at the moon night after night, waiting, was not something he allowed himself to think about. He didn’t know that Chiasa stared at the same moon every night, unable to find sleep.

It was on a day where Kakashi had taken another ANBU mission that Yugao decided to intervene. Hayate watched over the children as the purple-haired kunoichi pulled her best friend to the side.

“Chiasa, you’re my best friend,” she stated seriously. “And as such I want you to be happy and you were, don’t try to deny it. Ever since you and Team 7 came back from that mission you’ve been angry and unhappy with something. Now, spill what’s going on!”

Chiasa’s face changed into a snarl and sharingan eyes glared fiercely at her best friend. Yugao shouldn’t butt into things that don’t concern her.

“You wanna know the truth?” She laughed bitterly. “Well, the fucked up truth is that not everything happens for a reason. Sometimes people make the wrong decisions and they’re forced to live with them for the rest of their lives. And I know I should live with mine, because I mean what other choice do I have? You can’t turn back the clocks and redo things. You make a mistake, and you pay the price, that’s the cold harsh truth about life. You can’t change a decision you’ve already made, wrong or right.”

Arching an eyebrow, Yugao prodded: “Do you hate Kakashi really that much? He had every right to take his genin team out of the village and it’s not his fault that the client lied.”

“No, I know that” sighing Chiasa let her gaze wander, too ashamed to look at the other kunoichi. “I’m talking about the way I reacted. Kakashi did not deserve my anger.”

“Then what is the problem?”

The purple-haired kunoichi really wondered what the problem in this entire situation was, when Chiasa obviously didn’t hate the Hatake as she had made others believe. There were even betting pools for how long it would take the Uchiha to kill the other Jounin, although that one was not very serious, just something between a few shinobi that were still suspicious of the new Uchiha matriarch and hated the last Hatake. That there was another betting pool on how long it would take the genius Jounin to admit that they were good for each other and that Hayate had just bet quite a bit of money had nothing to do with the timing of her intervention.

“I’ve said things that he didn’t deserve to hear, Yugao. I willingly hurt him and didn’t even feel remorse. No apology could make it right again. And… I can’t be sure I wouldn’t react the same way again and I don’t want to hurt anyone.”

Chiasa left quickly afterwards, whisking the children to Ichiraku and Yugao could only watch. Shaking her head, she tsked. Uchiha pride was truly the bane of existence.


	12. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas everyone!  
> Love, Stella

It was five minutes before Team 7 would enter the Chunin exams and Chiasa was a nervous wreck, though from the outside there wasn’t even a hint of the fear that she felt inside. The kunoichi didn’t waste a single glance at the silver-haired Jounin reading his book carelessly, instead she braided Sakura’s long hair for the third time in the last hour, hiding another poisonous senbon in the elegant braid. The boys had moved a bit away when she had eyed their hair critically causing the pink-haired genin to giggle.

“Chiasa-nee, I think we’re fine,” muttered Sakura, turning to look at the older kunoichi determined. “You and Kakashi-sensei prepared us for the worst.”

Unexpectedly, Kakashi settled his hand on Sakura’s shoulder, a fake smile in his tired eye.

“Uchiha-sama is needlessly concerned. You three are by far stronger than the ordinary genin team and I am certain you’ll pass with flying colours.”

“Exactly, dattebayo!” exclaimed Naruto, jumping to his feet and pulling the last member of their team up with him.

“Dobe.” Sasuke rolled his eyes but let him be pulled around regardless.

Chiasa let a faint smile graze her face at the sight, but her hands didn’t stop trembling, though Kakashi was the only one to notice.

“Of course,” agreed the older kunoichi. “I know you’re ready.”

Her little brother eyed her warily, before letting go of Naruto’s hand and stumbling over to her, wrapping his arms around her neck.

“We’ll be fine, Nee-san. I’ll be careful.”

The Uchiha squeezed the boy tightly, finding it harder with every passing second to let go of her family. It wasn’t like a mission where she could put herself between her brother and danger, the Chunin exams were far worse for her. She’d be forced to watch as her brother fought genin from other villages without being able to intervene, not that if one of her kids were in fatal danger such a rule could stop her.

“Do not forget the seal, Sasu,” she whispered so quietly that only the Uchiha could hear it.

“Love you, Nee-san.”

It was time for the children to go and Chiasa let them leave with a heavy heart. However, when the boys were distracted by Kakashi, the Uchiha quickly pulled Sakura to the side, worry visible in her eyes.

“Sakura, you have to promise me to activate the seal if you’re in trouble. Your survival is more important than any exam or promotion. I can’t be sure that the boys will use it, confidence in your own skill is crucial for the life of a shinobi but not if it will get you killed. I will protect you for as long as I can.”

“I’ll use it if necessary, you can trust me, Chiasa-nee.”

There was a strength in the girl’s eyes that Chiasa knew just all too well, the will to protect what was precious to her, and it helped her to tame the fear rooted deeply inside of her.

“Thank you, sweetheart. Now, go before you’ll be late.”

“See you soon, Chiasa-nee!”

Thankfully, the children entered the exam building quickly before Chiasa could give in to the desire to swipe them into her arms and run, not that she’d come very far with Kakashi nearby. All that kept her from breaking right now was the knowledge that the three genin were protected as best as possible even in her absence. Her falcons were nearby, never leaving the children out of their eyes, she had taught them to the best of her ability in the short time she had been given and then there was the seal that she had given each genin. It was her masterpiece, one that she had only finished because Kaya had helped her. The small unnoticeable seal would allow her to appear next to the one using the seal, it was like a summoning based on the Yondaime Hokage’s Hiraishin, though her seal could only be used within a certain distance.

“Come on, Uchiha-sama. We should join the other sensei in the Jounin lounge. We’ll be able to watch the pups from there.”

Kakashi’s voice was rough and for the first time in about a month he talked to her directly. There was a gleam in his eye that Chiasa concluded was uncertainty and it was like another slap in the face. She hadn’t wanted to hurt him, not Kakashi who had given her and her brother a safe haven when they had nothing.

Wordlessly, she turned into the direction of the Jounin lounge, not letting her guilt display on her face. It was better if he stayed away.

* * *

There was a commotion in front of room 301 and one genin clad in a green spandex stumbled to the floor, wiping the small trickle of blood from his face.

“Is someone as talentless as you really planning to take the Chunin exam? Why bother?”

“Bunch of wet-behind-the-ears snotnoses!”

“You said it!”

The genin stood in front of room 301, stopping the other participants from entering.

“Please. We’re begging you, let us in.” A kunoichi with brown hair pulled into two buns begged the two other genin but was simply pushed to the floor as well.

“What did you say?” asked the genin with spiky hair annoyed. “You misunderstand! We’re just trying to spare you. The Chunin exam is incredibly difficult and we should know. We’ve failed three times so far. There are people who made it, then immediately gave up being shinobi. Others who ended up crippled. Some reduced to vegetables. We’ve seen it all. Besides that, Chunin are team leaders. They lead their units. The responsibilities for failed missions and dead shinobi rest firmly on their shoulders. And you little punks have the nerve to apply? We’re saving a step by weeding out the obvious losers beforehand.”

“Boys, you see the same as I do?” whispered Sakura as Team 7 hid silently behind the other participants.

“The genjutsu? Of course,” whispered Sasuke back and snagged Naruto’s hand before the blond could tell their findings every other genin.

“Oi, Sakura, isn’t that the boy you’re training with, dattebayo?” asked Naruto surprisingly quiet.

“Lee?” Sakura stole another glance before hiding behind a rather large genin again and nodded. “Yeah, but don’t worry. Lee is strong and he won’t be stopped by a simple genjutsu. Now come on before the others realise the genjutsu as well.”

Naruto squinted his eyes before muttering: “Shouldn’t we help them?”

“Stop being an idiot,” hissed Sasuke, already pulling the blond into the direction of the staircase with Sakura on his heels. “Right now, they’re our opponents. I don’t care what you do in your free time, but I don’t want anymore opponents than necessary in this exam, do you understand? We can’t disappoint Nee-san and Kakashi-sensei!”

“I get it, teme,” sighed the blond and let himself be dragged.

When Team 7 entered the exam room the pressure inside was almost enough to make them stumble. They had never been in a place with so many hostile shinobi at the same time.

Suddenly a person jumped at the Uchiha and it was only because Sasuke still held Naruto’s hand that the unfortunate fool didn’t fly across the room.

“Sasuke! Where’ve you been, cutie? I could hardly wait! It’s so exciting, seeing you again after all this time!”

Arms wrapped themselves around his neck and the Uchiha was forced the let go of Naruto, body tense and ready to attack. Sakura noticing that her teammate was not aware of who was hugging him, stomped over and pulled the blonde kunoichi away.

“Ino, you pig! Get your hooves off Sasuke!”

“Hello to you, too, Sakura. Still hoping the big mutant forehead look is going to come into fashion, huh? How sweet.”

Whilst Sakura kept the rest of their old classmates away, Naruto wrapped an arm around the Uchiha.

“It’s okay, teme. It was only Ino.”

Rubbing his temple, Sasuke relaxed against Naruto’s arm. He didn’t really know any of the other Konoha genin so he would have to trust his teammates words. Still, he could not comprehend that a kunoichi would simply jump at another shinobi without regards of the tense situation. If he had been anyone else or if he hadn’t held the blond’s hand, he would have flung the girl across the room, sending a few kunai afterwards.

By the time Sasuke was as calm as he could be in a room full of hostile shinobi, the rest of this year’s graduation had surrounded Sakura as well as another unknown grey-haired shinobi with round glasses.

“What’s going on?” whispered Sasuke as he stood next to his teammate.

Sakura frowned, biting her lip nervously and eyeing the foreign shinobi thoughtfully.

“For one that genin has a map showing how many participants each village send and then he also has something called ninja cards that show him the strengths and weaknesses of each participant. Kiba asked about Lee and the information was pretty spot on. He also asked about a genin from Suna called Gaara, who he apparently met before the exam and he is pretty strong from what the information say. Those things are high level shinobi tools, he shouldn’t have them.”

“So, we keep our distance from him. If he’s suspicious it’s best, we stay far away from him. We should get Naruto and hide between the other participants, if we stay with the rest of the Konoha genin we’ll be targeted simply because we pose a threat combined,” decided Sasuke after musing about Sakura’s information for a moment.

Obviously, it was at that moment that Naruto just had to open his mouth.

“MY NAME IS UZUMAKI NARUTO! AND NONE OF YOU ARE GONNA BEAT ME!”

And all of the attention was suddenly on Team 7.

“I’m going to kill him,” muttered Sasuke angrily as he snatched Naruto’s arm, pulling him behind himself and throwing his own icy glare at the other shinobi, daring them to take a step towards his team. If hiding was no longer possible, he’d make them fear them instead.

Meanwhile, Sakura had to hold herself back from actually strangling her blond teammate but as luck would have it, another genin was stupid enough to attack the grey-haired genin and therefore pull the attention on himself. Sasuke and Sakura didn’t hesitate to use this opportunity to move across the room unnoticed and hide into the shadows.

All of the sudden, a tall shinobi with scars across his face, wearing a black trench coat and bandana, appeared in a cloud of smoke interrupting the fight between the genin.

“Sorry to have kept you waiting. My name is Morino Ibiki. I’m the proctor and chief examiner for the first part of the exam.”

A simple gesture of his hand was enough to make the rest of the participants shudder and sweat in fear.

“You… the kids from the sound village! You can’t carry on any way you please when the exam’s about to start! Or do you want to be disqualified?”

“Sorry, Sir…” said the Sound shinobi. “It’s our first exam, and we got a little carried away.”

“Is that so? Then it’s high time someone laid down a few ground rules. From this point forward, there will be no more fighting without the express permission of the examining officer and even if that permission is granted, anything that endangers another applicant’s life is strictly forbidden. Any of you little piglets who break that rule are out. Disqualified. No second chances. Got that?” growled Ibiki, glaring at the obnoxious genin. “The first part of the exam is about to commence. Turn in your written applications, take one of these seating assignments cards and report directly to the seat indicated. When everyone’s seated, we’ll pass out the written part of the test.”

Not a second too late, Sakura slapped her hand in front of Naruto’s mouth before the blond could shout in exasperation.

“Calm down, dobe,” whispered Sasuke.

“Teme, I’m terrible at anything school related, just asked Sakura!”

Not believing that the blond could be too bad in anything he put his mind to, the Uchiha stole a glance at the kunoichi arching an eyebrow.

Grimacing, the pink-haired girl nodded: “He … was pretty bad… failed the exam three times, especially the written part.”

“Okay…” Sasuke thought feverish for a solution, “We’ll manage somehow.”

With a last encouraging smile, Team 7 commenced determined to take the exam in storm.

The next hour was spent in nervousness, agitation and anxiousness. Sakura, being the top kunoichi, found the exam question challenging but not impossible, whereas Sasuke had given up trying to answer them by himself after the first question and instead used the skills his sister had taught him to steal the answers from the genin around him. However, Naruto had neither the knowledge like Sakura nor did he consider cheating like Sasuke, so after answering not a single question the blond was reasonable nervous when the exam proctor announced the tenth and last question.

“First you must choose whether to accept or reject this tenth question!” commanded Ibiki gleefully, though none of the brats would ever know how much fun it was to terrorize them.

“Ch-choose? What happens if someone doesn’t accept the question?!” shouted a kunoichi from Suna, clearly fed up with the huge number of rules.

Smirking, Ibiki glared at the brats that thought they could become Chunin, answering: “If you reject the questions and don’t even try to answer it, you’ll lose all your points immediately and fail! And both of your teammates will fail right along with you.”

His answer caused a riot between the genin, but it was exactly what the Jounin had aimed for.

“Say what?!”

“Then why would anyone choose to reject it?”

“Because” the Jounin made a dramatic pause. “of the other rule. If you try to answer the question and you get it wrong, you will never be permitted to apply for the Chunin exams again. Not ever.”

Sasuke’s gaze flew to Sakura and Naruto, wondering if the shinobi could actually do that. With village-related stuff the two had a better chance of knowing than he did, but the panicked and scared expression on their faces were more than enough to know that this was their reality.

The genin with the dog didn’t seem to know when it was smarter to keep his thoughts to himself and instead shouted furiously: “You can’t be serious. That’s ridiculous! There are ninja here who’ve sat the Chunin exams more than once already! We know there are!”

The laughter that left the Jounin was enough to make Sasuke tense and reach automatically for the kunai hidden in his sleeve.

“Just your rotten luck. I wasn’t making the rules in past years, but I am now. I’ve been upfront with you. You can take a failing grade now and try again later. Anyone who had doubts would be smart to reject the tenth question right now. Come back and reapply next year, and the year after that.”

Whilst the Jounin continued to terrorize the other genin, Sasuke’s mind was racing. He couldn’t afford to stuck as a genin forever, nor could he accept giving up. What would his sister say if he simply dropped out without even trying? He obviously knew, she’d support his decision, telling him that there was nothing wrong with waiting for another year, but if he did, if he let something like this scare him how could he ever look into the mirror again? He was Uchiha Sasuke; brother of Uchiha Chiasa, best ANBU assassin of Konoha, student of Hatake Kakashi, the man who had copied over a thousand jutsu and member of Team 7; he would not admit defeat simply because some asshole expected him to do so.

After having made his mind up, the Uchiha looked around for his teammates. He was sure neither Sakura nor Naruto would raise their hand and give up. After all, Sakura was the smartest kunoichi - other than his sister - he knew and Naruto … Naruto was Naruto, a sunshine that could not be dimmed no matter who tried.

He did a double take as his pink-haired teammate reluctantly lifted her hand, a pained expression in her eyes. He didn’t know what to do as even Naruto raised his hand but before Sasuke could jump over the desk, pulling the blond’s hand back down, said blond decided to give him almost a heart attack instead.

Slamming his hand back down, the blond exclaimed determined and with so much conviction that a shiver ran down Sasuke’s back: “NEVER underestimate me! I don’t quit, and I won’t tun! I’ll accept your stupid question! Even if I risk ending up a rookie for the rest of my life, I’ll still become Hokage, even if I can only make it by pure stubbornness. I don’t care! I’m not afraid of you!”

Slumping back into his chair, Sasuke wanted so desperately to slam his head against the desk. Obviously, Naruto would never give up but their plan to lay low and appear unthreatening was hereby out of the window. And the blond didn’t even seem to have given a thought about his teammates!

The Jounin didn’t seem so happy with how the mood in the room had turned and Sasuke could understand him, Naruto had just managed to inspire the rest of the genin and hence gave them even more competition.

“I’ll ask you one last time. This is a decision that could affect the rest of your life. Quit now, while you still have the chance.”

Sasuke had to give the man points for trying, but when Naruto declared with so much stubbornness and faith in his words: “I never go back on my word. That’s my nindo!”, there was nothing the shinobi could do to frighten the other genin.

This time, the smirk that the Jounin gave them was not one of malice but of pride as he said: “Good call. So, everyone who is still here… you’ve just passed the first exam! There is no tenth question beyond the whole “accept or reject” thing.”

“Hey! Then why did we have to suffer through the other nine questions? That was a total waste of our time!” exclaimed the Suna kunoichi from before and Sasuke couldn’t help but agree.

“There was no waste. Those questions had a purpose which they’ve already served. Our goal was to test your skills at spying!” explained the intimidating Jounin. “Remember the rules at the beginning? You pass or fail as part of a three-man team. With that rule, I pressured you with the fear that anything you did wrong would bring your teammates down with you. However, the questions are beyond the level that genin could be expected to handle. So, most of you having reached that same conclusion had only one way of retaining your points… by cheating. In other words, we set up the test on the assumption you’d cheat. And to ensure there would be suitable targets for you to cheat from we snuck in a pair of Chunin who already knew all the answers.”

It was only because Sasuke hadn’t moved his gaze from his teammates that he noticed how Sakura checked disbelieving her question sheet before scratching her neck in embarrassment. Smirking satisfied, Sasuke crossed his hands. If he translated that look right, the examiner had clearly underestimated the intelligence of his female teammate. He couldn’t wait until Chiasa heard that Sakura managed to answer the questions without cheating.

“Of course, anyone who cheated in a clumsy or obvious way failed.” Ibiki pulled down his bandana, showing his scarred head. “Because there may be circumstanced where being caught in an act of espionage can cost you more than just your life. You pay in ways that can be taken from you little by little, time and time again, when many lives hang in the balance.”

Suddenly, the Uchiha didn’t feel so good anymore. He knew those kinds of scars, had already seen them on his sisters back, even though she had tried to hide them. And he also knew that one of them had been because of him, because his sister had given everything to protect him. It hadn’t happened in a while, but the sight of those scars was enough for Sasuke’s mind to try and pull him under.

He didn’t know how much time had passed when all of the time something crashed through the window, ripping him out of his thoughts.

“None of you are in any position to celebrate. I am the second chief examination officer Mitarashi Anko! Time’s a-wasting, people. Let’s go! Follow me!”

Sasuke was more than willing to listen to the new protector; his mind was not always a kind place.

“Can’t you sense the mood in here?” asked Ibiki as he pushed the banner that had followed the kunoichi to the side.

“Seventy-eight of you are still here?!” wondered the purple-haired kunoichi incredulously. “Ibiki! You passed twenty-six teams?! Obviously, you went way too easy on them.”

“This year we have applicants of exceptional calibre,” defended the Jounin himself.

“Yeah, right. I’ll cut down the number by half before the next test is done. Ooh! I get charged up just by thinking about it! I’ll explain things in detail as we move to our next location … so follow me!”

All of the sudden, Naruto was by Sasuke’s side snatching his hand and Sakura was on his other, leaning into him.

“We’re here, teme,” whispered Naruto so that no other genin could hear. “Don’t know what’s up but you’re not alone.”

It was like all the tension and fear that had taken a hold of him, when the Jounin had shown has scars, disappeared and Sasuke managed a faint smirk. He was not alone, and he would not allow another scar to mark his sister.

* * *

Training ground 44 or otherwise known as the Forest of Death was intimidating, Sasuke had to admit to himself. And the exam was equally crazy. It hadn’t taken the raven-haired boy long to figure out that there would be a bloodbath as soon as they entered the forest, though it wasn’t like it was something new to him. He had spent five years on the run, five days in a forest with seventy-eight genin didn’t sound to bad compared to when there was Kumo’s best Jounin on their track. He was certain they were prepared.

“Guys, how do you want to do this?” asked Sakura, tightening her hitai-ate again. “Should we do a hit-and-run or should we wait for one of the teams in front of the tower?”

Considering their options for a moment, Sasuke replied carefully: “Personally, I wouldn’t mind a hit-and-run. There’s the risk that the target has the wrong scroll, but I’d rather get out of the forest as soon as possible. We’re fast; Nee-san and Kakashi-sensei have made sure of that; and I doubt there are many genin that could match us if we pull out every stop. What do you think, Naruto?”

The blond had his head in some fuinjutsu notes, Chiasa had given him, but looked up when the Uchiha spoke to him.

“You have more experience with being in hostile territory than Sakura or me, if you think that’s the best way, I’ll trust your judgement, dattebayo!”

Sakura nodded in agreement with Naruto’s explanation. A faint smile grazed Sasuke’s face at the trust that both of his teammates put into him… it was nice. He’d make sure they’d pass; he couldn’t fail them now.

“Alright. Sakura, you’ve got the scroll?” he checked one last time before they’d enter the forest.

“Of course,” the look the kunoichi gave him was enough to make him smile wider. “It’s inside one of Naruto’s self-made storage scrolls; only opening by our blood.”

Suddenly, the entry gates swung open.

“Let’s go!” said Sasuke and Team 7 leaped into the forest, the Uchiha at the front.

* * *

There were many words to describe Haruno Sakura; smart, stubborn, smart, considerate, smart, bashful, smart, competitive, did she mention smart? So, when her team encountered a strange kunoichi with giant snake summons, that tried more than once to eat Naruto, she knew they had a problem. Both of their senseis had assured them that they were stronger than the ordinary genin and Sakura trusted their judgement, so when that strange kunoichi wiped the floor with them she figured that she wasn’t an ordinary genin. And when they finally managed to hit the kunoichi at the cost of her doing something to Naruto to make him unconscious, only for her skin to melt and give sight of another face, it was reasonable to say that they were way out of their league.

It was only reasonable that this was the time to play their trump card, because even though Sakura despised to admit that they were not strong enough, she also remembered her promise. And as the kunoichi burned her scroll, showing that it was clearly not what she was after and declaring she was Orochimaru, the rogue Snake Sannin of Konoha, the pink-haired kunoichi didn’t waste another second to activate the seal.

An explosion of blinding light erupted, and she had only enough time to throw herself over her unconscious teammate before it was gone again, and a figure stood in front of her.

Long dark hair waved in the wind and the sunlight reflected from a polished katana.


	13. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A belated happy new year everyone! Let's hope 2021 will be nothing like 2020!  
> Love, Stella

Chiasa sat in the Jounin lounge, back turned towards the other shinobi and absentmindedly sharpened her katana, not caring about the curious eyes of her fellow Jounin. The kids had passed the first exam effortlessly just as she had expected them, but the second exam gave her a bad feeling. No matter how many times she reassured herself that Team 7 was stronger than the other genin, that she and Kakashi had prepared them the best they could, that gut-clenching feeling didn’t leave her. So, she waited tensely for something to happen. Because her instincts had never been wrong.

Kakashi had found a place on a windowsill that allowed him to observe the room and the other Jounin but most important of all, gave him the chance to watch the Uchiha kunoichi. Holding his Icha-Icha he pretended to read instead of keeping his eye fixated on the kunoichi. She didn’t look good, hadn’t for days now. There was no point in trying to talk to her, Chiasa would simply ignore him like she had done for weeks now. Perhaps, he could ask Yugao, the kunoichi seemed to always be around Chiasa and would surely know what caused these deep purple eyebags on the Uchiha.

However, right now there was another problem that needed fixing immediately because the agitation and fear the kunoichi felt was tangible – at least to him – and it made his instincts go haywire. The wolf inside him longed to sooth his pack and not being able to do that tore him apart.

All of the sudden, the kunoichi froze, head snapping into the direction of the Forest of Death and in the blink of an eye, she was gone.

The blade sharpener clattered into the now silent room.

Kakashi was on his feet, hitai-ate lifted and face pulled into a snarl before anyone could react. There was a war inside of him between his rational side, reminding him that Chiasa didn’t want to see him, and the instincts inherited by his clan. The wolf whose pack had just disappeared in front of his eyes and who would tear the world apart until his pack was back.

A deep growl escaped his lips as a hand landed on his shoulder, holding him back. There was a madness in his eyes as he turned to look at the person holding him back.

Gai froze for a moment as he caught sight of his rival’s eyes; they had held such madness only a handful of time before and each time his rival had lost someone.

“You need to calm down, Kakashi,” he demanded sternly.

However, Kakashi was not in his right mind right now. He had been agitated for weeks now, Chiasa treating him like he didn’t exist when he had accepted her as his pack had been hell on his mind, and it was finally enough.

Swiping a kunai at his long-time rival, Kakashi freed himself and before another Jounin could attempt to stop him, he was out of the window. Climbing up, he crouched down on the roof of the Jounin lounge, giving him a larger view of Konoha. Smelling the air, he tried to find Chiasa’s scent but when he couldn’t find it, he bit his finger, drawing blood and summoned his ninken.

“Boss, what’s up?” asked Pakkun as all eight ninken were summoned, usually the Jounin would only summon one or two, except if he was in battle.

“Find her,” the Hatake breathed before jumping from the building, running in the direction of training ground 44. The only thing that could make Chiasa disappear without another word, was Team 7. He could be wrong so his ninken would check the rest of Konoha.

* * *

Chiasa reappeared in the Forest of Death, katana drawn and sharingan eyes blazing. It took her all of five seconds to take in the situation and let her chakra burst free like a wildfire.

One, Sakura had used the seal. Two, Naruto was unconscious. Three, her falcons were nowhere to be seen. Four, there were snakes. Five, Orochimaru.

A growl left her throat, full of fury and hatred, and in a second she had reached her brother, pushing him out of the way and swiping her blade at Orochimaru in the same moment as his fangs scraped her neck.

“Run!” the Uchiha snarled at the children, using the chance that the Sannin was so close to pull him in a genjutsu.

However, the genin were frozen in place, even as the Sannin broke free of Chiasa’s genjutsu, hissing madly.

“Uchiha Chiasa, I should have known you’d come. Who would have thought I get the powerful Uchiha instead of her baby brother?”

“I’ll kill you!” she growled, lifting her blade again, when suddenly a sharp pain pulsed from her neck and she staggered.

Nevertheless, she lunged at the Sannin, hoping that the children would finally run. This was not a fight for them, and it was already impressive that they had survived long enough to summon her. Admittedly, it had been a long time since she had had to fight someone as powerful as the Snake Sannin, but she’d buy them time to escape.

She couldn’t use ninjutsu with the genin so close by, so kenjutsu it was. Orochimaru, however, didn’t have such restriction and hauled a fire ball at the unmoving genin. With an angry snarl, Chiasa threw herself between her children and the jutsu, blocking it with her blade.

“Get out of here!”

Finally, after what felt like hours to the kunoichi, Sakura hauled Naruto over her shoulder and snatched Sasuke’s hand, fleeing deeper into the forest.

For a minimalistic moment, Chiasa prayed that her brother wouldn’t hurt the girl for running, before all of her attention was back on the Sannin.

“Now, that they are gone; Fire Style: Majestic Destroyer Flame!”

Chiasa did not hold back. Orochimaru was a threat to the children, she would not let him escape. The pinnacle of the Uchiha fire style was something that no one had seen to tell the tale and she was proud to have mastered the jutsu of her ancestor; even if Uchiha Madara was a traitor his fire style was magnificent.

The forest around them burned form the force but the Sannin hadn’t moved, blocking the attack with a water jutsu of his own, however, his fake skin was falling apart.

She had a second to catch her breath before Orochimaru lunged at her, the Kusanagi in his hand.

The Sannin was an admirable kenjutsu fighter and the Kusanagi a true beauty, and if he hadn’t been a missing nin, Chiasa would have loved to measure her strength against him but alias it shouldn’t be.

The kunoichi didn’t know how long they fought, only that their surrounding did no longer resemble a forest and she wondered when one of the exam proctors realised this was not the work of genin. Hopefully, before whatever the fuck Orochimaru had done to her would slow her down too much.

For every hit she landed, the Sannin landed one as well and soon it was obvious that this would be a battle of endurance and stamina. And here, Chiasa was aware she had a disadvantage. Her eyes burned with strain, her neck was on fire and her arms were heavy like lead, it was only a question of time until Orochimaru would get a hit in and she’d have no other choice than to use it. And if she did that, if she unleashed the power that she had hidden for a reason, she’d condemn herself and her brother to a life in a golden cage. The Council would not hesitate to take Naruto away in fear of what she could do…

Days of not sleeping finally demanded their price when her foot slipped, and she could barely block the hit of the Sannin. Her blade shattered under the force of the Kusanagi and it continued its path deep into her abdomen, tearing skin and muscles.

The scream that tore out of Chiasa was animalistic and suddenly both shinobi were in the middle of a blazing inferno.

Orochimaru jumped back, pulling his blade carelessly behind, destroying even more of Chiasa’s abdomen.

The kunoichi stumbled back until her back hit a tree, hand pushed against the large gash in a frantic attempt to stop the blood flow. With the other hand she activated the seal she had laid during the fight with Orochimaru, effectively holding the Snake in place. Without missing a beat, she formed the hand seal for the Fire style: fire dragon flame missile. As soon as the dragon-headed fireballs flew towards the missing nin, Chiasa magnified them with a blast of wind.

When the dust settled, a loud curse left he lips.

The Snake Sannin was gone.

In the next moment Chiasa’s knees buckled and she crashed to the ground, biting her tongue to stop herself from screaming out as her neck felt like it was on fire. She had never been burned alive, but she imagined it must feel similar. No matter how much she tried, Chiasa couldn’t see what the bastard had done to her and thinking back that he had aimed for her brother made her see red. The next time she met him, Orochimaru would pay. For now, she had a more important objective.

A high-pitched cry caused her to look up, her sharingan immediately found her partner.

“Fumiko,” the Uchiha breathed out in relief.

When she hadn’t seen her falcons, she had been worried, but it seemed that at least one of them was alive.

“Go after the kids. Make sure they reach the tower. I don’t think Orochimaru will try again but if he does, get me.”

She would have liked to go after them herself but there was just a little problem. One, they’d be disqualified if someone found her inside of the training ground and two, the blood loss made her vision already go dark. That could of course also be the exhaustion catching up to her or whatever the Sannin had done to her. Fact was, she’d not make it to the children.

Fumiko was troubled to leave her partner behind, especially since she could see how poor her condition was, but she also knew that the hatchlings needed her. The Snake would not be able to pass her prying eyes again!

As soon as Fumiko was away, Chiasa gathered her chakra and used it to shunshin out of the forest before her consciousness would fade.

* * *

“I need to go in there.”

For the past five minutes, Kakashi had snarled and growled at the two ANBU blocking his way into the Forest of Death and if they didn’t move out of his way soon, he’d not be responsible for his actions.

“Kakashi-san, you can’t enter while the Chunin exam takes place. You know the rules,” explained the ANBU with a bird mask again.

The one with a boar mask crossed his arms sternly. They could not allow the Hatake to enter.

“You don’t understand! My-”

“Boss!”

All of the sudden, Bisuke ran towards the shinobi, fear in his eyes.

“We’ve found her, Boss. But you need to hurry! It’s bad!”

“Where?”

“Your apartment, but-”

It was all Kakashi needed to know to throw himself into a shunshin, not stopping until he arrived in front of his apartment. Thoughtlessly, he threw open the door only for his heart to beat faster as he couldn’t see the kunoichi at first. He knew she was here, could feel her chakra flickering weakly. It took him only a few steps to stumble into his bedroom where the rest of his ninken crowded his bed and his breath hitched at the sight.

Red.

That’s all he saw for a moment.

Red, sticky liquid covering his room before he kneed next to the woman on his bed, sharingan memorising every little bit of pain on her pale face.

“Chiasa,” he whispered breathlessly before anger rolled over him.

He didn’t know what to do! He should take her to the nearest hospital; that wound needed healing before she’d bleed out. But he also couldn’t let her leave, wanting to smoother her in his scent until nobody would doubt that she was pack. His hand hovered hesitantly over her shoulder when onyx eyes flattered open.

There was a faint smile grazing Chiasa’s face as she murmured barely audible: “Kakashi.”

“Boss, Boss, I’ve got the first-aid-kit!” Urushi hastened to the pair with a small box in his muzzle.

His hands trembled as he cleaned the deep gash and wrapped bandages around it. The Uchiha needed a medic but for now it had to be enough. Seeing blood cling to his hands still made Kakashi feel nauseous but there was no time for such sentiments. Someone had managed to hurt Chiasa inside Konoha to the point where she was barely conscious without being noticed.

“Tell me who did this to you,” Kakashi growled as he held the barely conscious kunoichi in his arms.

His hold was firm but careful, one arm wrapped around the Uchiha’s waist and the other clamped tight over the now bandaged wound in her abdomen. Her breath hitched as she moaned pitifully and rested her head against his chest.

“I kill them, I swear to God,” the Jounin hissed.

Sometimes he despised his Hatake senses that allowed him to distinguish feelings by scent alone because whoever had made Chiasa feel afraid was a dangerous threat. There was something else in her scent that he couldn’t name too.

“Kids…” Chiasa felt herself slipping, the darkness had never appeared more tempting as now.

She was safe, she was home and there was someone next to her, holding her closely, someone she knew, someone who could protect them whilst she healed.

“Go… Snake…”

And then there was only darkness and warmth but Chiasa wasn’t afraid.

“Boss?” Pakkun settled next to the Hatake, nudging him carefully as the Jounin didn’t make any sign of putting the kunoichi down. “She needs to rest and also a medic.”

A low growl left Kakashi and he barely restrained himself from snapping. Someone had entered Konoha without being noticed, who could promise him that the hospital was saver than his own apartment?

Even with the storm inside him, he laid Chiasa gently back onto his bed, tucking her carefully in. It was rude to take in the scent of someone without permission, even so, Kakashi didn’t stop. Leaning his forehead against hers, he allowed the soothing aroma of gladiola to fill his senses. However, the movement had also ruffled Chiasa’s velvet hair and suddenly Kakashi had free sight of her neck.

The hatred that filled him was one he hadn’t felt often. But the black marks marring Chiasa’s fair skin, the evil that tainted his pack, was deserving of his loathing, of that bottomless pit of bloodlust.

The kunoichi had said snake, she had warned him, told him a snake was after the genin.

Orochimaru had dared to go after his pack and for that alone the Sannin would bleed!

“Protect her!” Kakashi growled, moving around the room and opening a drawer secured by seals.

Ever since he had left ANBU he hadn’t needed to open that drawer but with Orochimaru around and the bastard going after his pack, he’d be ready. It took him only a minute to change back into his ANBU uniform that gave a bit more protection than the simple Jounin vests. The tanto in his hands felt strange, but even after not using it for months Kakashi knew it would soon feel like an extension of his arm again. His hound mask dangled from his waist, clattering quietly as he turned to glance at the Uchiha.

He couldn’t explain what caused him to lean forward, brushing his masked lips faintly against the kunoichi’s cheek.

“I’ll be back, Hime.”

* * *

Sakura had managed to cross a lot of distance by the time Sasuke woke up from whatever shock he had been in and slammed his heel down, stopping her from running. The movement was so unexpected that Sakura couldn’t keep her grip around Naruto and the blond slid from her shoulder.

“Sasuke,” she hissed, scrambling to pick up the blond again. “What do you think you’re doing? We need to move!”

Sharingan eyes glared at her, forcing her to halt in her movement.

“Where’s Nee-san? We need to find her.”

“Don’t be stupid! Chiasa-nee told us to run, so we’ll run for as long as we can and even further! I’m sure she’s fine, there’s no way that woman could beat her. Now, help me with Naruto.”

That seemed to snap Sasuke out off it and the Uchiha hurried towards the blond. Seeing the usually energetic boy so still was disheartening.

“Has he been unconscious the entire time?”

Chiasa’s teachings came back to him and if he wasn’t so concerned about his teammate, he’d have slapped himself for forgetting the first thing his sister had taught him. The first promise he had given her since that night. When she said run, he’d run. She would always find him again.

“Yes, I don’t know what’s wrong with him,” admitted Sakura, trying to heave the boy up again but her muscles trembled under the weight.

Checking their surroundings carefully, Sasuke glanced back at his teammates before nodding to himself.

“You see that tree with the large roots? We’ll rest there for the night. Hopefully, Naruto will be awake by morning and then we can continue,” he told Sakura, nudging her gently out of the way and picking up the blond himself. “Come on.”

Gratefully, Sakura stumbled after Sasuke. As soon as they had reached the root cave, she dropped down, immediately asleep.

For a moment, the Uchiha eyed her incuriously before putting the other boy down gently and rolling the girl next to him. Sakura had done well; it was now on him to keep watch while the others rested. He pulled out a water bottle and a cloth to clean his teammates a little bit. Sakura’s hair was still in a tight braid, though, a few strands had come free, and other than a handful of cuts she was all right. There was one gash on her cheek that he had to stitch up, it was better than risk an infection. After Sasuke was sure that the kunoichi would not suddenly die, he moved over to the boy that made his heart skip a beat.

“You idiot,” Sasuke muttered, thinking back to how the blond had jumped in between him and that strange shinobi only for the Sannin to do something to make him unconscious.

The Kyuubi seemed to have healed any injuries Naruto might have gotten during the fight, so there was one thing less for Sasuke to worry about.

Caressing the strange whisker marks, he whispered: “Wake up soon, usuratonkachi. I really need you right now.”

* * *

Sakura woke in the early morning to the sight of Sasuke holding his katana against Lee’s throat and a kunai in his other hand aimed at three foreign genin. If the situation wasn’t as serious, she’d have fallen back asleep. Instead, she was on her feet quickly, hand balling into fists and chakra building up inside of her.

“Who the hell are you?” she snarled at the genin team that at a second look was from Oto whilst moving protectively in front of Naruto. “Sasuke, that’s Lee. He’s a friend.”

The raven-haired boy didn’t move his eyes from the threats surrounding his team as he asked: “You’re sure?”

It would be fortunate if he didn’t have to fight four genin, but he didn’t know the guy in the green spandex.

“I’m sure. Right, Lee?”

“Of course, my beautiful blossom,” declared Lee. “When I saw your youthful teammate fighting these guys by himself, I just had to help! It would be very unyouthfully for me to just ignore a comrade in need!”

At Sakura’s pressing glare, Sasuke reluctantly retracted his blade from the other Konoha genin and instead turned his entire concentration at the Oto genin.

“Lee, can you protect Naruto?” whispered Sakura as the genin accidentally took a few steps into her directions. “You’re not used to Sasuke’s fighting style and my chakra is fully replenished so I’ll be fine.”

A slight nod was all the confirmation the kunoichi needed for pressing forwards. Sasuke, realising what his teammate had planned, didn’t hesitate to throw a fireball at the Oto shinobi. Just as they had practiced a million times before, Sakura used the blinding fire to kawamari behind the kunoichi, tearing her into a genjutsu and allowing Sasuke enough time to reach her, swiping his blade over the kunoichi’s throat.

A spray of blood covered Sakura’s face and for a moment she froze.

Shaking, her hands moved automatically towards her face in response of the liquid coating her until Sasuke’s pained snarl reached her ears. Not thinking, she spun around. Eyes catching the shinobi covered in bandages strangling her teammate, the pink-haired kunoichi jumped, rocks surrounding her fists as she slammed them into her enemy’s spine. She swore she heard bones shatter under her strength.

“What the hell?!” hissed the last uninjured Oto shinobi at the sight of his teammate pitifully moaning on the floor. “You’re not genin! What kind of monsters are you?”

Cursing, he snatched his still living teammate and fled.

In the next moment Sakura’s knees buckled, and her fingers finally touched her cheek only to be drenched in red when she looked at them again. A tormented whimper escaped her lips as she shook violently.

Sasuke was desperate to comfort his teammate, to somehow take that anguished expression from her eyes, but for one, he didn’t know how to do that. He didn’t even remember how Chiasa had calmed him after the massacre, only that she had been very warm and safe. And second, there were still people hiding in the bushes.

“Come out!” he snarled, driven by sheer fear for his team.

Slowly, with their arms in the air three Konoha genin came from behind the bushes, one with long blonde hair, one with hair put into a spiky ponytail and one rather large genin. Sasuke remembered them seeing in his graduation class, which didn’t mean that they were not a threat.

“H-hey, S-Sasuke, could I j-just…” the blonde kunoichi glanced worriedly behind him where he knew his pink-haired teammate to be.

The moment the girl made a step towards Sakura, he had his blade out, daring her to move closer. As he had expected the girl flinched back, be it from the threat or the blood that dripped from his sword.

“Troublesome,” muttered the boy with the spiky ponytail. “Ino just wants to check on Sakura. They’re childhood friends.”

Eyeing the genin warily, Sasuke considered his options. The choice was made for him when Sakura looked up at the mention of the blonde kunoichi. Lowering his katana, he moved aside to let the girl run past him and towards Sakura.

“So, so troublesome,” cursed the other genin and warily took a few steps into Sakura’s direction as well and when Sasuke didn’t immediately try to skewer him, he slouched down next to Lee and Naruto’s unconscious form, closely followed by the other genin.

Honestly, Sasuke had to admire the boy’s bravery. The other boy on their team showed his fear of the Uchiha far more obvious. Nevertheless, there was still another team he had to take care of. This time there were only two chakra signatures but Sasuke didn’t doubt there were people who could hide from him. The fucking kunoichi or shinobi or whatever she had been was just one example.

“What did you get yourself into this time, Lee?”

A shinobi with long brown hair and a kunoichi with her hair in two buns stood on top of one of the large branches staring down into the clearing. The kunoichi was slightly pale, eyes glancing reluctantly at the corpse of the Oto kunoichi whereas the shinobi stood tall and unflinching from the sight.

“Neji, Tenten!” exclaimed Lee and waved them down excited. “I saw Sasuke fight alone with Sakura-chan and Naruto unconscious, so I chose the youthful path to help a fellow comrade in need! But then the beautiful blossom woke up and left me with the honourable task of defending her teammate!”

“I don’t think they really needed you help,” muttered boy with spiky hair, Kami, Sasuke should really learn their names.

“I suppose you’re not going to attack us?” he grunted, still ready to attack or defend should it come to a fight.

“No, we have an exam to finish,” declared the one with long brown hair. “Let’s go Lee.”

Lee looked torn between staying and comforting Sakura – Sasuke had gathered from the stories his teammate had told of her new training, that the two had become friends – and following his teammates. Putting his katana back into its sheath on his back, Sasuke wandered over to the other genin. When he passed Lee, he stopped for a moment.

“Thank you for watching over Naruto. I’ll take it from here.”

Visible relieved, the genin smiled brightly, throwing his fist into the air.

“Yosh! I leave it to you, my youthful comrade.”

Now, that he had not to fight another person, Sasuke had time to check on Sakura. But it seemed as if he didn’t need to anymore, the girl having fallen back a sleep in her friend’s arm. The blonde kunoichi – Ino – hummed a soft tune as she carefully wiped the blood from her friend.

“Thank you… Ino,” murmured Sasuke and sat down next to his blond teammate, ignoring the incredulous look in Ino’s eyes.

It was not a conscious decision to ruffle Naruto’s blond hair, more like a gesture to reassure and calm himself. Even so, Sasuke hated the sharp look he received from the shinobi with a spiky ponytail.

“Your names?” he finally asked rather gruff.

Sighing, pineapple shinobi said: “Nara Shikamaru.” as the other genin introduced himself as Akimichi Choji.

“What’s wrong with Naruto?” questioned the Nara only to receive a glare from Sasuke.

Before the raven-haired boy could answer said blond snapped his eyes open and red chakra suddenly surrounded him. With a hiss, Sasuke recoiled his hand that had caressed the Uzumaki.

“Sasuke?” the boy muttered, blue eyes settling on the boy.

Just as sudden as the dark chakra had come did it disappear and Naruto sat up disorientated.

“What happened?”

“Idiot,” grumbled the Uchiha and pulled the confused boy into his arms. “That should be my line. What the fuck did Orochimaru do to you?”

Suddenly, Naruto’s gaze went sharp and he surveyed the clearing suspiciously. He scrunched his nose in confusion as he noticed Team 10 and Sakura in Ino’s arms and a dead kunoichi.

“Nope,” he shook his head determined. “I should definitely be the one asking! Why is Team 10 here and who’s that girl over there? And how did we even escape that creepy snake lady?”

“I think we all have questions, Naruto,” interrupted Shikamaru and yawned. “For example, I would like to know how your teammate managed to kill that kunoichi so easily. Or how the hell, Haruno Sakura went from being a little nobody to a kunoichi that could break one’s spine with one punch.”

“You’ve killed?”

Naruto didn’t even seem to acknowledge the Nara, too caught up by the fact that Sasuke had killed again.

Shuffling around, Sasuke tried to avoid the azure blue eyes that seemed to be full of disappointment.

“It was her or us. A team from Oto tried to attack when you and Sakura were unconscious.”

He didn’t even know why he explained himself. Of course, he knew why but it was easier to pretend he didn’t.

“Okay,” whispered Naruto after a brief pause and grasped Sasuke’s hand. “Thank you.”

“So troublesome,” muttered Shikamaru as he realised that none of the boys would answer his questions any time soon.

“Naruto, Sasuke,” Ino called their names, still holding her bests friend gently. “I think that belongs to you. Sakura had it in her hand, I think she took it when she punched that ninja.”

The blonde threw a scroll over to them, which Sasuke snatched out of the air without letting go of Naruto. He needed that touch to anchor himself, lest he snapped. Any thought about his sister were decidedly pushed from his mind.

A quick check told him that it was indeed the scroll that they needed, and a faint smile grazed his face. He hadn’t even thought about that, too busy with worrying about his team but apparently Sakura had remembered.

“Thanks, Ino.”

Half an hour later the two teams decided to split up and continue with the exam and this time it was Naruto who lifted Sakura on his back. Sasuke would be their main defence; there was no way he’d let another unknown shinobi near his team. 

The grey-haired shinobi from before the first exam had to learn that lesson in a rather painful way. The genin didn’t even manage to get close to Team 7 before Sasuke set the entire surrounding on fire with a handful of explosion seals and a fireball. The shinobi tried to approach them another two times, each time unsuccessfully, until Team 7 finally reached the Tower. Sakura had woken half an hour after they had split with team 10 and even though she was a bit pale, she kept up with her teammates effortlessly.

It was welcomed surprise that when the genin opened the scrolls, Umino Iruka – their previous Academy teacher – appeared.

“Hey, kids!” the Chunin greeted them smiling proudly. “It’s been a while, eh? You three look like you’ve really been through the wringer.”

What the genin hadn’t expected was for their sensei to appear from nowhere and scoop them into his arms.

“Thank kami,” the Jounin muttered lowly.

Taken aback, Iruka watched the scene, wondering why the Hatake wore his ANBU uniform and looked ready for war. Or why he was even here for that matter.

“Sensei?” wondered Sakura, feeling the boys beside her tense.

Something was wrong and not only because Kakashi-sensei acted like he’d thought them dead and the Uchiha kunoichi wasn’t there to greet them as well.

“Act normal,” whispered Kakashi into his genin’s ears, turning them so that the Chunin couldn’t see them. “I don’t have time, but you need to end the next test quickly. Chiasa’s not well.”


	14. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And I'm back with a new chapter! Finally! It has taken me ages to write something that wasn't complete and utter crap but hopefully the next one won't take that long again. I'd love to hear your thoughts about it since your comments always encourage and help me when I'm stuck.   
> Anyway, stay heallthy and safe in these times.  
> Love, Stella

There was a saying his father had told him when he had been a child, one that Kakashi had never really understood or tried to understand.

_Smart like a Nara. Assertive like a Yamanaka. Kind like an Akimichi. Persistent like an Inuzuka. Consistent like an Aburame. Respect like a Hyuuga. Embrace like a Senju. Love like an Uchiha. Loyal like a Hatake._

Love like an Uchiha had been a foreign concept to him, caught in the believe that the clan was full of arrogant and cold-hearted shinobi. However, the last Uchiha had taught him, had allowed him to see, that it wasn’t true. His perception had been warped by the same rumours that had once pushed his father to the end.

A concept he had always understood had been the loyalty of the Hatake Clan. Once upon the time, his clan had sworn loyalty to Konoha and Kakashi had breathed that same blind loyalty for years. After his first pack – his father – had died, killed by the same loyalty people praised the Hatake Clan for, he had had only his village. So, he became the rulebook shinobi.

Cold-hearted. Bloodthirsty. Without mercy. A weapon for his village.

But then he had found other people that he could swear loyalty to and just when his new pack had been in reach, he had lost them. Torn from his blood covered hands by the same village he had sworn loyalty to.

There was a time he had lost his way, because not feeling had been easier than living in a world without his pack. He had never had the chance to make these people his real pack, had never the chance to tell them what it meant to a Hatake, had never the chance to form the bond that would make them his. And a lot of times he was thankful for that. Because if losing his potential pack had destroyed him that much, had shattered the last bit of what had once been Hatake Kakashi, how would it have felt if they had been truly his? And sometimes, he hated himself for that.

Loyalty to his village had kept him alive even when he had wanted to die.

And then the Sandaime had pushed a genin team into his hands, hands that murdered more people than he could count, hands that had been drenched in his own teammates blood, hands that tainted everything they touched. Despite everything, the Sandaime wanted him to teach the new generation. Maybe, the man had known that Kakashi was tired of fighting on, maybe he had seen that the wolf in Kakashi - covered in scars, bony body and dull fur, jaded eyes, and so, so alone – and had known, maybe he hadn’t.

Either way, he had silently accepted, bound by his loyalty to the village.

Kakashi hadn’t expected to care. He hadn’t expected his wolf to wake, slowly and wary, but once again awake. But he did.

Step by step, he had allowed the genin team he hadn’t wanted and an Uchiha he hadn’t known to breach through his carefully constructed walls. And before he had realised it, he had allowed himself to feel again.

When he had found his pack slowly bleeding out in his apartment, his wolf had risen, teeth bared and eyes glinting dangerously. A potential pack had once been ripped from his hands, he’d not allow the same to happen a second time.

Leaving his apartment, even if it was to alert the Hokage and hunt down the snake that had tainted his Uchiha, his pack, had never been so hard.

The Hatake wasn’t aware that with every step he took, dark and heavy chakra surrounded him, scaring the other shinobi.

When the Sandaime had told him to stay down and let the Sannin be, despite even Mitarashi Anko warning him about the danger, he fought against the chains binding him to his village for the first time in a long while. And Hiruzen had seen the beast in him thirsting for blood, but he had not known what to do with it. Kakashi had only once dared to turn his wolf against the village but back then he had been alone with no future and with no pack to protect.

The silver-haired Jounin had left without another word, his genin were still in the middle of the exam where he could not reach them, so he returned to his apartment. Only there did he find a sense of calmness. At least until the moment Chiasa cried out feverish in pain.

There was no hesitation as Kakashi kidnapped a medic-nin from the hospital, ordering him to heal what could be healed, all while he hid that strange mark Orochimaru had left on his Uchiha.

After throwing the medic out of his apartment when the kunoichi was no longer feverish and her stomach had been healed, Kakashi had activated every protection seal around his apartment, keeping watch over the Uchiha with new ferocity until it was time to meet his genin.

* * *

Ever since meeting up with their sensei, Sasuke had been in a daze. The Jounin had only been able to tell them that his sister was not well before he had to leave again and the Chunin – Iruka-sensei, his teammates had called him – had led them into a large hall where the rest of the genin were, at least those that had passed. All that had been on his mind since then, was Chiasa. His sister that he had left behind fighting a creepy kunoichi in order for them to flee. And now his sister was injured! Kakashi hadn’t even had the time to tell him what exactly was wrong, so Sasuke was left to the mercy of his own mind. But his mind had never been a kind place ever since that night.

It was only because Naruto and Sakura had grabbed his arms, pulling him with them, that he was even in the arena and not still at the same place, their sensei had left them.

“Sasuke?”

A sudden touch on his shoulder ripped him out of his thoughts and the Uchiha glared confused at the blond jinchuuriki on his side.

“It’s your turn,” whispered Naruto, watching his friend concerned.

“Huh?”

Sasuke hastily eyed their surroundings, only now noticing that the rest of the genin had left the arena to watch from upstairs. Only Naruto and another Konoha genin were left.

“You were totally out of it, weren’t you?” Blue eyes were full of concern and worry as they locked with Sasuke’s. “The preliminaries consist of individual combat matches; the fight goes until one is dead or unconscious or admits defeat. Your opponent is Akado Yoroi, I don’t know anything else. Be careful, Sasuke.”

It was all Naruto could say to his friend before Hayate chased him out of the arena.

“Akado Yoroi, Uchiha Sasuke, you two have been selected to compete in the first round. Any objections?” asked Hayate, when all the other participants were out of the way.

The Jounin couldn’t help but worry about the young Uchiha; he had spent some time training the boy and never had he seen him as unfocused as now.

“None.”

“I’m good.”

“All right. Please begin!”

The Konoha genin put his hands into a seal, asking challenging: “Shall I start?”

But Sasuke was not interested in challenging the other genin, far too worried about his sister to consider that the Hokage perhaps wanted a show of his abilities. He didn’t even think as he snatched a smoke bomb from his weapon poach, throwing it. Using the momentary confusion, he laid a False surrounding genjutsu and shunshinned behind the shinobi.

When the smoke lifted and the genjutsu broke, every shinobi could see Sasuke’s blade against Akado Yoroi’s neck.

On the stands, Kakashi suppressed a smug smirk, though he couldn’t keep the pride out of his eye. His student had just broken the record for the fastest match in decades without even breaking a sweat. Chiasa would be so incredible proud of him when he told her.

“Oi, teme! What was that?!” shouted Naruto loudly as he leaned over the railing in excitement, almost toppling over if it wasn’t for Sakura snatching his shirt.

“Well, sensei did say we should finish quickly,” the kunoichi mused, amusement glittering in her eyes as she took in the flabbergasted expressions of the other shinobi.

Coughing, Hayate glanced at the Hokage but when the man didn’t show anything, he shrugged and announced: “I declare Uchiha Sasuke the winner. Please join the other participants on the stands.”

Wordlessly, Sasuke put his katana back in its sheath and left the arena. For those who didn’t know the boy, he would look completely at ease and unbothered by anything, but those who knew him saw the fear and worry in the tilt of his lip and the barely noticeable tremble of his hands.

When joining his team, Naruto was the first to latch onto him, effectively shielding him from the other curious genin. And for that, Sasuke was eternally grateful.

“That was amazing, Sasuke,” whispered the blond into his ear, a sharp contrast to his boisterous attitude from before, but Sasuke preferred this Naruto to the one hiding behind a stupid mask.

Nudging his side gently, Sakura joined their embrace, teasing: “You couldn’t have finished any faster, could you? Now they’re going to have such high expectations for the rest of us.”

“I want to see Nee-san.”

Sasuke’s quiet confession was enough to dampen the mood. Naruto and Sakura grimaced uneasy, until a heavy hand landed on the Uchiha’s shoulder. Looking up, the boy locked eyes with his sensei.

“Kakashi-sensei.”

“You did well, Sasuke,” praised the Hatake, ruffling the boy’s hair affectionate. “I know you’re worried and I swear as soon as the others are done, we’ll leave. Until then, try not to panic, okay? Chiasa is alive and she won’t die just because we’re not there.”

“Can’t you just tell me what’s going on?” begged Sasuke quietly, unable to keep the concern out of his voice in the face of a man he had come to trust.

He couldn’t really tell, but he thought that behind Kakashi’s mask lay a vicious snarl but all he got from his sensei was a squeeze on the shoulder.

“Don’t worry, Sasuke,” whispered Sakura, fiddling with her braid. “We’ll finish quickly and then we’ll go to Chiasa-nee. You’re not the only one worried, you know?”

“Oi, Sakura-chan. I think you should get ready.”

Unexpectedly, it had been Naruto who had kept an eye on the matches whilst his sensei was busy with Sasuke. There had been two other matches after Sasuke’s so far, Aburame Shino vs Akimichi Choji, which the Aburame won by simply sucking out Chojii’s chakra, and a Suna genin named Kankuro against a Konoha shinobi, who Naruto didn’t know. Thankfully, Chiasa-nee and Kakashi-sensei had told him about the different ninja arts, so he wasn’t unprepared when the Suna genin used a puppet in his fight. Now, as the names for the third match were shown on the board, Naruto couldn’t help but feel nervous.

Yamanaka Ino vs Haruno Sakura

The blond knew how much Sakura loved the other kunoichi and that their friendship was really strong, he just hoped that wouldn’t hinder his teammate. He didn’t think Sasuke would take lightly if Sakura prolonged the match unnecessarily.

“Oh,” muttered Sakura caught off guard, but was soon full of determination. “Wish me luck, guys.”

“You’ll be fine, Sakura,” said Kakashi, patting her head. “I know it.”

It was weird to have the Jounin so affectionate, but Sakura figured it was his attempt to fil the position of Chiasa-nee, though she couldn’t fathom why the man would do that. The last weeks had been nothing but a pain with her two mentors fighting.

She met Ino on the stairs and the arrived in the arena together, a smirk grazing their faces. They had been best friends as well as rivals since the day they had met, and Sakura had wished for an opportunity to test her strength against her rival’s. That they would fight in the Chunin exam was like fate. Under any other circumstances she would have liked to draw the fight out, enjoying what would surely be an exhilarating fight, but with Kakashi-sensei’s request to finish the match as quick as possible, she wouldn’t.

“So, Sakura. You’re ready to be defeated?” asked Ino challenging.

Smirking, Sakura replied: “Let the best kunoichi win.”

Ever since she had seen her name on the board, she had considered the quickest way to win. No matter what her mentors would teach her, she’d always be a paper ninja first and foremost. That was something she had accepted, though, it didn’t mean she recognised it as a weakness. Chiasa-nee had taken the time to sit down and talk to her about her career as kunoichi, encouraging her to play to her strengths instead of trying to become someone she wasn’t.

Different to Ino, Sakura had no clan to fall back on, no clan jutsu passed down through generations. All she had was Konoha’s public library, two sensei’s that cared about her and her mind.

“Begin.”

The moment Hayate started the match, Sakura formed two clones, running towards Ino. As soon as she had eye contact, she pulled her rival into a genjutsu. She didn’t expect Ino to take long to dispel the illusion, especially since she was aware of it but the ten seconds it took her was all the time she needed.

One of the first jutsu Kakashi-sensei had taught her was the Hiding like a mole technique, telling her that if she was seriously considering putting genjutsu into her style, she’d need a way to reach her target in an offensive fight.

The first genjutsu was enough of a distraction for Sakura to sink into the ground, leaving another clone in her stead.

Now, Ino was faced with three Sakura’s whilst the real one, waited patiently for the moment the blonde was directly above her.

Ino, unaware that she wasn’t fighting the real Sakura, threw kunai at the clones, grinning as her weapons went through the two, she thought were the clones.

Victoriously, she halted, putting her hands into the seal for her clan’s trademark jutsu.

“I’ll make you admit defeat!” she cheered.

Unfortunately for the blonde, she had stopped directly above Sakura, making it even easier for the pink-haired kunoichi.

The second it took Ino to realise that it was only a clone in front of her, Sakura had shot up, snatching Ino’s ankles and pulled with all her force. A surprised screech escaped Ino as she found herself suddenly buried to her neck.

“What the hell, forehead!”

Sakura couldn’t help herself but giggle slightly as she left the ground. Just to make sure, she held a kunai at Ino’s neck, waiting for Hayate to call the match. She was certain Ino didn’t know how to get out from the jutsu, but it was better safe than sorry.

“Winner: Haruno Sakura!” exclaimed Hayate when another cough shook his body.

Despite the victory, Sakura couldn’t help but worry about the Jounin that was a good friend to Chiasa-nee. His cough didn’t seem to get any better and none of the adults would tell her what he had.

“Hey, help me out, will you?” groaned Ino and Sakura turned back to her best friend.

“Sure, Ino-pig,” she replied, smugly.

Holding out her hand for Ino to take, she pulled the other girl up and together the left the arena, joining their teams on the stands again.

“You’ve gotten pretty strong, Sakura,” admitted Ino before they split. “But next time I’ll win! Just you wait!”

“Good luck with that!”

There was no maliciousness between the girls when they split, only excitement for the next time they’d battle.

“That was a good fight, Sakura,” murmured Kakashi, giving the kunoichi another proud head pat. “Hime’s going to be so proud that two of her kids made it to the final, now all we’re missing is Naruto.”

It was nice to have that familiarity back, decided Sakura. She didn’t want it missing again. If you asked her, they weren’t really Team 7 when Kakashi-sensei didn’t call Chiasa-nee Hime and the kunoichi was with the Jounin. The Uchiha was still missing but at least they had talked whilst the boys and her had been in the exam, otherwise the Jounin wouldn’t know about her status. At least, that’s what she concluded. It hadn’t escaped her notice either that their sensei was the only one in a strange grey uniform, one she hadn’t seen any of the other Jounin sensei wear.

“I’ll win too, dattebayo!” shouted Naruto from his place next to Sasuke with blazing eyes.

Now that both of his teammates had passed, the pressure was real! He couldn’t imagine failing now!

“We know, dobe,” groaned Sasuke playfully. “There’s no way you gonna lose to any of the other genin. If you do, we won’t have ramen for at least two weeks!”

The outraged sputter was exactly what Sasuke needed to stop thinking about his sister and he had the inkling that Naruto knew that too. It was nice to know there were people who’d go out of their way to make you happy. And Naruto hadn’t done anything else since the moment they met, he thought.

There was no reason other than that it was simply really hot in the arena that a light blush grazed his cheeks, no matter what Sakura would say. It had nothing to do with remembering the day they met in the Academy and … it had absolutely nothing to do with Naruto’s lips that were absolutely fascinating.

During the time Naruto played the brash knucklehead to keep his friend relaxed, another two matches had passed and now it was the Uzumaki’s turn to proof his worth.

Uzumaki Naruto vs Inuzuka Kiba

“Oh, yes! Thank you! Thank you! We can take this guy, Akamaru!” cheered Kiba loudly as he walked down to the arena.

Meanwhile, Sasuke couldn’t help but growl at the obnoxious Inuzuka, annoyed that the boy talked so condescending about his teammate.

“Don’t you dare lose to dog breath!” he threatened the blond, receiving a bright smile.

“Of course not!”

But no matter how much Naruto tried to hide his insecurity, his sensei still seemed to see right through him.

“You’ll be fine, Naruto,” said Kakashi certain.

There was something in his sensei’s voice, whether it was the faith or the confident in his abilities, that caused an honest and tentative smile to graze the blond’s face.

In the arena, Naruto didn’t waste time listening to Kiba’s arrogant monologue meant to get a rise out of him, but instead rummaged through his weapons poach in search of the fuinjutsu tags he had prepared at home. There were a handful of different seals, one for paralyzing his opponent, one causing smaller explosions and one that would drain his opponent’s chakra, though that one was still in the working. For now, he had his seals, his kage bunshin and the wind jutsu his teachers had taught him.

“Begin!”

Hayate’s voice ripped him out of his musings and he had only enough time to drop to the floor as Kiba lunged at him.

Naruto had to give it to the Inuzuka, he was indeed fast, unfortunately for Kiba Naruto had trained with Sasuke who was even faster. That didn’t mean that when Kiba realised he wouldn’t touch the blond this way and used his clan special jutsu so that Akamaru turned into a copy of him, Naruto escaped unscratched.

A fist hit his cheek, throwing him across the arena but before he touched the ground, the jinchuuriki used a simple wind jutsu to keep himself levitated. Wind levitation was a simple E-rank but since there weren’t many wind users in Konoha it wasn’t well known. Thankfully, Chiasa-nee was more than happy to teach him every wind jutsu in her repertoire.

Unbeknownst to Kiba, Naruto hadn’t let the genin use him like a ragdoll without a plan. Every time the boy had kicked him away, Naruto had placed a fuinjutsu tag on the ground. Now that he was in the air, he smirked triumphantly and activated them with a flicker of chakra.

The duo had been mid-jump as the seals activated and within a moment, they crashed to the ground paralyzed.

On the other side of the arena, Naruto used a shunshin to appear next to his paralyzed opponents and just for good measure – and maybe because Kiba had annoyed Sasuke – he put the chakra draining seal on the Inuzuka. Then he held a simple kunai at Kiba’s throat and waited expectantly for Hayate to call the match.

Coughing to hide a laugh, Hayate moved next to the genin, expecting the seal with interest before calling: “Winner: Uzumaki Naruto!”

There was an outcry of rage and surprise through the ranks of the Jounin, many not believing that the demon brat had managed to beat a clan heir. However, they were quickly silenced by the suffocating killing intent of one Hatake Kakashi.

Naruto didn’t let them get to him, ever since Chiasa-nee had told him the truth he had been able to ignore them a bit better. It still hurt to have them look at him like he was scum, like he was a disease that needed to be burned, but at least now he knew that it wasn’t his fault. And he had found people who loved him for who he was. Though, he was pretty sure Sakura still didn’t know about his status as jinchuuriki and Kakashi-sensei hadn’t said anything either.

Any lingering feelings of misery disappeared when Naruto locked eyes with the raven-haired boy waiting for him at the staircase leading up to the stands, a faint smile on his lips.

“Good job, usuratonkachi!” uttered Sasuke loudly.

Not thinking, Naruto threw himself at the boy, hugging him tightly. When he realised what he had done, the blond almost recoiled if Sasuke hadn’t wrapped his arms around him in the same moment.

Both boys wore a bright red blush, but neither really wanted to let go either.

Thankfully, Kakashi and Sakura joined them soon, allowing the boys to break apart without making it any more awkward than it already was.

“Well done, Naruto,” praised the silver-haired Jounin, not caring that he gave his fellow Jounin a heart attack with every encouraging word he spoke to his genin. “Now, how about we visit Hime? You’re all done, and I’m not really interested in the other matches.”

There was an urgency in the way he asked his students, though it was unnecessary. All children were already anxious to see the Uchiha kunoichi again and had ended their matches accordingly quickly.

“Are you sure they won’t miss us, Kakashi-sensei?” asked Sakura, just to make sure that there would be no consequences. After all, it was not every day you left an event before the Hokage.

“I’m sure. Now, hold on to me and I’ll shunshin us directly to my apartment.”

Team 7 promptly took a hold of their sensei and just for good measure took each other’s hand as well.

Frowning, Hiruzen watched as Team 7 disappeared in a shower of leaves, not even asking for permission. He didn’t like the way Kakashi had been acting for the last days, especially not the way the Hatake had growled and snarled at him when receiving his orders. They were clear; he should stay low and let the threat of Orochimaru be. It was also worrying that no furious Uchiha kunoichi had stopped by. When he had asked Kakashi about Chiasa, he had received only a feral growl, though it had appeared the Jounin hadn’t been aware of it as he had explained in a detached voice that the kunoichi was sick with a fever and resting.

One of his ANBU agents had warned him that the Hatake had raised the protection seals around his apartment to the highest.

It was all so very troublesome; perhaps he should take Danzo’s advise and send the kunoichi on more missions.

* * *

The moment Team 7 materialized in front of the familiar apartment door, Sasuke rushed forwards and Kakashi pulled him back by his collar at the last second before the boy could touch the doorhandle.

“Be watchful of your surroundings, Sasuke. I don’t want to tell Hime that you’ve got hurt in front of my apartment,” muttered the Jounin and went through some hand seals.

A blue flash went over his door before the shinobi opened it and let the genin enter, closing it behind them as another blue flash signalled the re-activation of the protection seal.

Naruto and Sakura eyed the bland looking apartment curiously, for them being it the first time to enter their sensei’s home, while Sasuke looked wildly around.

“She’s in my bedroom,” explained Kakashi, putting his hand on the boy’s shoulder before he could run of. “I don’t know if she’s asleep, so we need to be quiet.”

Sasuke wanted to argue when a little pug strolled out of the Jounin’s bedroom.

“Oh, Boss. You’re back and you brought the rest of the pack.”

“How is she, Pakkun?”

The pug frowned deeply, getting even more wrinkles than before.

“She’s awake, but the fever hasn’t gone down. Takeshi-san is still in there studying the seal and she wants to talk to you.”

Sasuke had enough of waiting for his sensei and pulled away from his hold, running in the room the dog had come out.

“Nee-san!” he cried as he saw his sister laying pale-faced on the bed.

At the sound of her little brother Chiasa’s eyes snapped open, hand searching for a weapon before she recognised the room she was in and allowed herself to relax.

A faint smile grazed her face as she slowly sat up, eyes fixed on her brother.

“Hey, Sasu,” she murmured softly, opening her arms slightly.

It was enough of a sign for the boy to jump in for a tight hug, pressing tightly against his sister. Tremors shook his body as he clung to her like she was his lifeline and Chiasa calmly stroke his hair. There were two other pairs of anxious eyes, watching her from the doorstep and she didn’t think before waving them in.

“Naruto, Sakura.”

The children climbed onto her bed as well, though much slower than her brother, squeezing beside Sasuke.

“We were worried, Chiasa-nee,” whispered Sakura.

“I’m alright, sweetheart.”

Naruto looked up to her, azure blue eyes wide and glazed over with unshed tears, asking: “What happened Chiasa-nee?”

“Nothing bad, Naruto. You remember the shinobi with the snakes you were fighting?”

Out of the corner of her eye, Chiasa saw her Shishou leaving the room, probably talking with Kakashi telling him what she had figured out.

“Orochimaru, the Snake Sannin,” hissed her little brother darkly and cuddled closer to her.

“Hmm, I was pretty tired when I fought him, so he managed to land some hits on me, but nothing I won’t recover from.”

She knowingly left out the part were the Sannin had marked her with his seal or at least partly.

“Enough about me, I want to know how the rest of your exam was! Did you all move on to the finals?”

* * *

Some time later the genin had fallen asleep on her and Chiasa carefully arranged them so she could leave. Tucking them in gently, she placed a soft forehead kiss on each of them before stumbling into Kakashi’s living room.

She had been resting ever since the fight but Orochimaru’s seal left her weak.

“Kakashi?” she called out quietly, feeling relieved when said Jounin stepped out of the kitchen.

“I’m here, Hime.”

Without question, Kakashi stepped towards her helping her to cross the last distance to his couch.

“You should rest,” muttered the shinobi.

Rolling her eyes, Chiasa sighed and leaned into the couch. Everything was spinning but she wouldn’t tell the Hatake that. The Jounin would try to get her to sleep again or kidnap another terrified medic-nin and she could gladly do without that.

“Did Shishou tell you?” she instead asked quietly, not wanting to wake the sleeping children. “And did you inform Sakura’s parents that she’s staying here for tonight?”

Uncomfortable, she bit her lips.

“Sorry, I know I should have asked first but they were so exhausted. I can take her and the boys home if you want your peace.”

A low growl escaped Kakashi before he stopped thinking and pulled the kunoichi into his chest.

“Stupid. Do you honestly believe I’d let you leave handicapped like that? Or that I’d throw out my students?”

There was a moment of tense silence until Chiasa relaxed into the embrace, head pressed over the thrumming heart of the Jounin.

“I wasn’t sure,” she admitted shamefully. “I… we…”

Kakashi had cared about her since the moment she had invaded his apartment, in spite of the coldness that had ruled between them since Wave. She didn’t know what to make of that.

“I’m sorry for how we ended things in wave. I understand what it feels like to fear for a loved one and I’m sorry I didn’t do a better job in protecting Sasuke.”

“It’s not your fault,” whispered the Uchiha. “I … I should have reacted better. I know you’d never let the children die, believe me, I do know that. But I haven’t left Sasuke’s side for more than half a day in five years and when I couldn’t find him in Konoha, I overreacted. It wasn’t fair from me to let it out on you and even though I want to, I can’t promise it won’t happen again. Sasuke’s all I have left and …”

She didn’t know how to put it into words that she’d burn every single shinobi village to the ground if it was for her brother.

A hesitant hand stroke through her hair and Chiasa didn’t dare move in fear that it would disappear.

“I understand.”

The Uchiha hadn’t realised that Kakashi’s acceptance would release a huge weight from her heart.

“There are more important things to consider than the past. Takeshi-san told me that Orochimaru didn’t manage to put the complete curse seal on you and that your chakra is fighting against his causing the fever and fatigue. She said she couldn’t get it off even in its uncomplete state.”

“Hn,” murmured the Uchiha sleepily, eyes slowly closing. “Told me too.”

Considerately, Kakashi stroke Chiasa’s head holding the kunoichi protectively in his arms as he absentmindedly asked: “What about Jiraiya-sama? We could ask Hokage-sama to call him back.”

“No…hate him…left…”

Secretly, Kakashi took in Chiasa’s scent, unable to stop himself with her being so close to him. It calmed him more than anything else.

“Okay, no Jiraiya,” whispered the man softly.

“…Kaya…”

The body in his arms went suddenly lax and the Hatake listened comfortable to the slow breaths of the woman in his arms.

“Sleep well, Hime.”


	15. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Looks carefully around*  
> Hey, so did I say I'd update more frequently? I think so, but well life is hard right now so yeah. Exams are only two months away and everything is just so stressful and every time I sit down to write I just feel incredible guilty because I could have used the time to study. Then there are also my other stories that want some of my time. 
> 
> Anyway, maybe - and that's a big maybe - the next chapter won't almost take another month to come out. 
> 
> But now we first have fluffy Kashi and Chiasa time, so enjoy. Who knows how long it will be until it all falls apart? Kakashi and Team 7 always had the worst luck afterall. 
> 
> I'd love to hear what you thought about it. Personally, I found comments to be a huge source of motivation. 
> 
> Love, Stella

Chiasa woke to someone playing with her hair and the quiet sound of a page being turned. She didn’t dare move, only stole a secret glance to gaze at the man in whose lap she had slept peacefully. It had been one of the best sleeps she ever had.

“How are you feeling, Hime?”

Apparently, she hadn’t been stealthy enough. Sighing inwardly, Chiasa sat up slowly. She felt far better than last night, the fever seemed to have finally gone down.

“We should probably talk. The children told me they are in the finals.”

“Hm,” Kakashi hummed noncommittedly, eye on his book as the kunoichi made herself comfortable at the other end of the couch. They had both fallen asleep there and when he had awoken, he had found them tangled together just like they had been before Wave.

“I’m serious, Kakashi,” muttered Chiasa trying to catch the Hatake’s gaze. They had so much to talk about and not enough time. The next exam was in a month, they had three genin to train and she needed to go to Uzushio in hope that Kaya would be able to remove the half-finished seal.

Unconcerned, Kakashi continued to turn a page, only glancing at the kunoichi.

“You know,” he drawled. “Before we talk about any of the genin, how about we talk about you and what to do about Orochimaru? That seal needs to go before we do anything else! And we should also inform Hokage-sama about it…”

“We can’t!” the kunoichi hissed with a tinge of fear.

Finally, the Hatake put down his book locking eyes with the Uchiha.

“If Hokage-sama knew about it, he wouldn’t let me leave. I can’t explain to him why I need to go to Uzushio without telling him about Kaya and I can’t do that. I still don’t know why he hasn’t ordered his ANBU to drag me to him…” at the end the kunoichi spoke quietly, frowning thoughtfully.

“It’s because I haven’t told him.”

The revelation was so sudden and unexpected that Chiasa only gaped at the shinobi perplexed.

“Huh?”

She had been convinced that Kakashi had alerted the Hokage the moment he had found her in his apartment.

Shrugging, he avoided the prying gaze of the kunoichi, explaining: “When I went to the Hokage to alert him about Orochimaru’s presence, he ordered me to do nothing and wait. Chiasa, you … Orochimaru attacked a fellow shinobi of the Leaf and Hokage-sama ignored a huge security breach in favour for his appearance. Anko had been talking to him before me and she had found proof that a team of Kusa had been killed by the Sannin, but he still wanted to carry on with the exam. There was no need to tell him about your exact status as of yet. He knows you were injured but not to which extent…”

How could he explain to her that he was afraid of what the Council would do to her if they found out about the seal? How could he explain that the sole thought of her being in danger was enough to break his chains to the village? How could he explain that she was pack without fearing rejection?

“…Thank you…” whispered Chiasa after a moment of consideration.

She didn’t understand what had led the Hatake to lie to the Hokage by omission, but whatever it was she was grateful.

“Can you tell me why you don’t want Jiraiya-sama to look at the seal?” inquired Kakashi after a while.

Absentmindedly, the kunoichi pulled her legs closer wrapping her arms around them.

“Jiraiya…” she uttered the name with something akin to hatred. “You know how he is Naruto’s godfather?”

Nodding, because obviously he knew. He had been there, watching from hidden corners, as Minato-sensei had asked the Sannin.

“You also know how the Sandaime ordered anyone close to Kushina-oba-san and Minato-san to stay away from Naruto. I know Kaa-chan went to visit him in the hospital after the Kyuubi Attack, but she wasn’t even allowed into the same building. Jiraiya had enough sway to stay by Naruto’s side; he could have asked the Sandaime to stay but he didn’t. Did you know that the orphanage threw Naruto out when he was four? And no one was allowed to take him in. I was freshly in ANBU when that happened and by sheer luck, I was Sandaime’s guard on the day Jiraiya came back to report his newest findings. Sandaime informed him about the ‘new development’ as he called it and inquired if Jiraiya wasn’t interested in staying and taking the boy in. And you know what he did? Jiraiya, one of the legendary Sannin, student of the Sandaime, teacher of the Yondaime and Naruto’s kami forsaken godfather, flinched like he had been struck and uttered pathetically ‘There are more important things’! More important things than a child he had sworn the care for! How can I trust a shinobi who would let the king of Konoha suffer because he didn’t care about his responsibility?”

Kakashi hadn’t known. He hadn’t known that Jiraiya had refused the chance to raise Naruto.

“I… didn’t…” he whispered, suddenly reminded of how he had abandoned the boy too.

Taking a deep breath, Chiasa tried to quell the anger coursing through her body.

“Sorry,” she apologised through gritted teeth. “I didn’t mean to snap at you again. It’s just I don’t want to be anywhere near the Sannin if I can help it. I haven’t really practiced self-control since I left Konoha as you have surely noticed and I’m not sure I could keep my cool if Jiraiya crossed my path. Attacking a Sannin would probably have me in T&I before the end of the day; not something I would like to experience.”

“I’d break you out.”

There was only surprise on her face as she observed the Hatake.

Hastily, Kakashi added as he realised his words: “The genin would immediately try to free you and I can’t let my cute little students get into trouble!”

Thank kami for his mask, because he honestly didn’t know how to explain the blush that he felt covering his cheeks.

Chuckling, Chiasa smiled faintly.

“That’s good to know.”

“The genin,” said Kakashi quickly, trying to change the topic. “We should talk about what we’re doing next.”

“Hn. I want to go to Uzushio as soon as possible and I’d like to take Sasu with me,” mentioned Chiasa, hesitation in her eyes. Right now, Kakashi had more power deciding her brother’s stay.

“I don’t want to let you go alone,” admitted the Jounin, once again avoiding her eyes. “How about we all go to Uzushio? We could train the genin there, except if Naruto and Sakura would like to stay here. In that case I’ll find them a teacher. I’m sure I could bribe Genma or one of the Chunin to take them under their wings.”

For once he didn’t want to lie to himself; he wouldn’t be able to stay sane if Chiasa left his sight right now. It seemed that the night spent together had broken any walls making the Jounin more honest than he had been in a long time.

“I… I’d like that.”

A warm smile grazed the Uchiha’s face; she couldn’t help herself but believe in the safety Kakashi unknowingly offered her. Subconsciously, she had moved from the other end of the couch to Kakashi’s side again. The Jounin simply felt so much like safety that in her vulnerable state she latched onto him.

When Kakashi turned around to look at the slight weight that suddenly rested against his shoulder, his breath shuddered as he was met with a pair of nebulous eyes that reflected the heavens, so dark celestial bodies had to reside in them.

The moment was broken by a loud shriek and the Jounin reeled back, eyes snapping towards the living room window where a handful of dishevelled falcons fluttered weakly.

“Fumiko,” breathed Chiasa faintly and scrambled to her feet.

Kakashi, already knowing how much the birds meant to the Uchiha, reached the window before her, deactivating the protection seal for a moment to allow Fumiko and the others to fly in. The silver-coloured falcon immediately descended into Chiasa’s waiting hands, crooning lowly. The rest of the flock pressed towards the ebony-haired kunoichi as well; Satoshi glanced at Kakashi acknowledging. If the Hatake didn’t know better, he’d have thought the birds were mourning or crying, so low and heartfelt were their croons. It didn’t minder his concern when Chiasa’s eyes turned dull, making her look incredible vulnerable.

He hesitated, torn between leaving the room or settling back onto the couch, pulling the kunoichi into his arms. The decision was made for him when he felt Naruto’s chakra flicker, announcing that the boy had awoken.

Silently he stepped into his bedroom, planning to wake the rest of his students and tell them about the upcoming training trip to Uzushio.

* * *

It was a day later that Team 7 left the village for Uzushio.

As Kakashi had expected neither Naruto nor Sasuke were against the training trip, and there had been only a small discussion with Sakura’s parents, both concerned that their little girl would travel with a group of boys for a month, but when he had mentioned that Uchiha Chiasa, the Matriarch of the Uchiha clan, would accompany them on this trip they had allowed it.

A more complex conversation did happen with the Hokage, the Sandaime not at all thrilled that two of his best Jounin as well as the most prodigious genin team would leave the village for a month. However, that conversation took only place after the man had rebuked the Hatake about his sudden absence at the preliminary round. The Sandaime had also told Kakashi that Jiraiya would be back in the village in a few days and he would have liked Naruto to train under him. That information had left Kakashi feeling electrified, the Uchiha’s rant fresh in mind.

In the end, however, the old man had given in and allowed Team 7 to leave. But not before telling them the matches of the final since they had missed the announcement and warning Kakashi again, that Naruto was not to be told about his heritage. In fact, he’d asked him to keep the boy from using the biju’s chakra if he could.

When Kakashi alerted Chiasa to these orders, the smirk that adored the woman’s face was nothing but feral.

They had been on the road for three days when the Hatake noticed the curse seal acting up again and Chiasa falling behind. It had been surprisingly dormant for the last days but now it seemed to fight the Uchiha again.

Secretly, he let himself fall back to walk next to the kunoichi.

“How bad is it?” he asked quietly, eye on his Icha-Icha, though every other sense focused on her and unable to miss the pained grimace fleetingly crossing her face.

“I’m fine.”

Humming disbelieving, Kakashi looked up at the three genin walking in front of them, laughing and talking like children should.

“Is your pride more worth than their safety?” he wondered casually.

“Of course not,” replied Chiasa fiercely, just as her knees buckled and she stumbled into the Hatake.

“I see.”

Kakashi had wrapped one arm around the Uchiha, keeping her steady whilst the other held his Icha-Icha as he carelessly walked on.

Scowling, Chiasa gripped Kakashi’s arm tightly.

“Okay,” she muttered, anxiously. “Okay, Kakashi. I’m not fine, is that what you want to hear? My body needs a break but we’re only a day from Uzushio and I’d feel safer if we arrive there rather sooner than later.”

“Team 7, we’ll rest here for the night,” said Kakashi just loud enough for the genin to hear.

It didn’t take long for a camp to be set up and before he knew it, the kids were in their tents sleeping deeply. They had used the time on the road to practice their chakra control as well as chakra sensing to a certain extent. Chiasa had been adamant, and he fully agreed to her reasoning, that all of them should learn as many skills as possible whether they would master them or not. What had she said? A jack of all trades is a master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one. Something about not allowing themselves to limit their possibilities. From the way she had spoken, he figured she had experience there.

His gaze wandered to the ebony-haired woman sitting in front of the small fire, petting Fumiko gently. Assured in the knowledge that she was alright for the moment, Kakashi left for a quick patrol.

The moment Chiasa felt the Hatake’s chakra far away, she whispered urgently: “Fumiko, I want you to leave and fly to Uzushio and alert Kaya of our arrival. She should know that we’re coming.”

The shriek the silver-coloured falcon gave her couldn’t be described as anything other than anger and defiance.

Forcing a faint smile, she added: “I know you don’t like it, believe me when I say I don’t want to let you go either. Fumiko, you’re part of my family and I can’t lose anyone else but you’re also the only one I trust to get my message to Kaya; don’t worry, the others will be able to keep watch in your stead.” She checked their surrounding swiftly before murmuring barely audible: “The seal… it’s tearing me apart, Fumiko. My body is in constant pain and I can’t even use my chakra without risking falling into the snake’s curse. I need to get it off before Orochimaru comes back because I know he will be. I know he won’t leave Sasu alone when he realises his seal has failed and I need to be ready by then. I already know what I must do but I can’t risk it with the seal on my body. Do you understand?”

Her partner looked at her with dark, intelligent eyes before crooning lowly.

“Thank you.”

After Chiasa had tied her message around the falcon’s leg, Fumiko left quickly; there was no point in staying there longer.

When Kakashi returned from his patrol he found the Uchiha laying alone in front of the diminishing fire, eyes closed. Silently he sat down across her, taking out his Icha-Icha again. He was glad that Chiasa had decided to sleep; it was a sign of trust in him.

Honestly, he had wondered how long the stubborn woman would try to keep going without sleep. Kakashi knew that Chiasa had had her sharingan turned on almost every day, even the civilians of Konoha knew that the new Uchiha Matriarch always watched the world through red eyes. But he also remembered the days Chiasa had shown her onyx-coloured eyes. Those moments were what he had missed most after the Wave mission. He figured it was a similar tick as his mask, a way of alleviating the paranoia caused by years of fighting. So, it must be hell for the kunoichi to travel without her sharingan activated due to Orochimaru’s seal. The fact that she still allowed herself to rest caused a weird warmth to spread through Kakashi.

The night was warm, even so, Chiasa soon started to tremble and quiver. Unsure, Kakashi watched her for a while, his nose soon picking up the scent of sickness. In the end he decided to put another blanket over the sleeping woman in hope that it would be enough, before returning to his post.

The silence was a welcomed change; the last days had been filled with the excited chatter of the genin and he had barely had any time to gather his thoughts, only driven by the overwhelming need to protect. Now, that he had time to work through these unfamiliar feelings – not that he knew what to do with them – however, he couldn’t tear his gaze from the sleeping kunoichi.

There was a craving to be close to Chiasa but at the same time his mind protested against the concept of touch. Before the Uchiha had returned to Konoha he hadn’t touched anyone in a very long time and in the last months he had more physical and emotional contact than in thirteen years combined. Sometimes, he just wanted to drown in the feelings those touches drew out, other times he felt simply overwhelmed. And then there were the times he felt disgusted with himself. Because he was cold-blooded Kakashi, the Friend-killer, and his hands were painted in red, so how dare he long for human contact, to feel wanted? How could anyone ever want to touch him?

A sneeze interrupted his spiralling thoughts and the Jounin’s eyes snapped over to Chiasa. Holding his breath, he looked at her and decided.

He couldn’t watch her shiver any longer, a thin sheet of sweat giving her skin a sickly glamour. Hesitantly, not wanting to scare Chiasa in any way, he moved next to her, sliding beneath the covers to pull her against his chest and wrapping his arms around her quivering body. It was a dangerous move, most of his fellow shinobi would have attacked him the moment he touched them, purely because it was an ingrained reflex that any shinobi having grown up during war time possessed, and it spoke lengths about the trust Chiasa seemingly had in him, as she only momentarily stiffened before releasing a shuddering breath and leaned against Kakashi.

“You don’t make sense, Hime,” the silver-haired Jounin whispered into soft ebony-coloured hair.

He couldn’t understand how the Uchiha could be so wary and distrustful of the population of Konoha, but apparently trust in him even in her sleep. Especially since they hadn’t even been talking prior to the Chunin Exam.

The next hours Kakashi spend with merely holding Chiasa in his arms and sometimes nuzzling her neck, taking in her sweet flowery scent until he was certain he could find it anywhere. He’d never tell the kunoichi what this meant for a Hatake, afraid that she’d tell him to stop. And being so close to his pack but not allowed to scent them would tear his wolf the brink of insanity.

At such a moment where his nose was nestled against Chiasa’s neck, her body stiffened, her pulse heightened, and her eyelids fluttered open. Kakashi reared his head back so fast his neck cracked, staring wide-eyed at the Uchiha. He knew he was blushing furiously beneath his mask; thank kami he had resisted the pull to take in the Uchiha’s scent without the barrier of the cloth.

Drowsily, Chiasa blinked, slowly becoming aware of the arms embracing her.

“Kashi?” she muttered exhausted. “What time is it?”

“Uh,” the Jounin awkwardly coughed. “A few hours before dawn?”

“Okay.”

Kakashi didn’t know if it was only the exhaustion or if Chiasa truly didn’t mind him being beside her, but he was resolved to take it for as long as possible.

“You should try to sleep a little more,” he advised, voice rough.

Shaking her head, Chiasa closed her eyes as if it were too hard to keep them open.

“No, need to talk to you before the genin wake up. There are a few things you should know; I owe you that much … need to know I trust you.”

Frowning, Kakashi stayed silent. It wasn’t like she hadn’t already given him the biggest sign of trust. Continuing to sleep in his arms, allowing him to be near Sasuke, deactivating her sharingan around him… what more could she possible tell him?

“I’m afraid…”

Kami, he wished she would open her eyes. He didn’t like were this was going.

“Orochimaru’s seal… I know it’s not complete, but what if Kaya can’t get rid of it? Or even Jiraiya? I know from files that only one of Orochimaru’s test objects survived the seal, Mitarashi Anko… It feels like I’m burning from the inside… There’s no way I will ever submit to the snake so if… if this ends bad could you … take in Sasu? … don’t want him to live alone … neither of you… Naruto too… know it’s painful for you… but he needs you… smart boy… told him about Kushina-oba-san, you should too… don’t forget Sakura… we’re family, right?”

His heart stopped beating for a moment as he took in the sleep drunken words. A family, a pack. Chiasa had said so. Could she …? Suddenly, she went limp in his arms, breathes slow and calm.

Subconsciously, Kakashi tightened his grip around the sleeping kunoichi, pulling her even closer to him if that was even possible.

He didn’t want to think about what she had told him, didn’t want to consider a scenario were Orochimaru’s half finished seal would take her away from him.

There were too many thoughts filling his head from Orochimaru to Naruto’s knowledge of his heritage as that he could get even a wink of sleep that night.

* * *

Team 7 reached Uzushio at the next evening with Kaya already awaiting them on the docks of the small fisher village. The old woman watched the five shinobi exiting the small fisher boat thoughtfully, eyes narrowing as the same silver-haired shinobi from earlier basically carried Chi around.

“Chi-chan, Ryuu-kun!” she called out cheerfully when they were close enough.

The young boy waved happily – the time in Konoha seemed to have been good for him – as a blond boy watched everything with awed eyes and the pink-haired girl next to them smiled politely.

“Hey, hey! Whirlpool country is so great, dattebayo!”

Startled, Kaya stared at the blond boy and after a moment she recognised the Uzumaki in the child; the eyes – startling blue – but familiar in the shape, the face – round and a bit chubby like every Uzumaki child – and undoubtedly the bottomless chakra reserves – larger than even her own with untouched potential.

Her eyes snaped to Chi with wonder. During the year, the young woman had stayed in Whirlpool country, she had shared stories about Uzumaki Kushina – every Uzumaki born in Uzushio knew of the last Whirlpool princess and her duty as jinchuuriki – as well as about a young Uzumaki child, Kushina-samas’ legacy. And the stories had only fanned her longing to see the other Uzumaki, but Kaya had known that it was impossible. Her place was here, in the small fisher village before the ruins of Uzushio.

Gripping her cane so tight that her knuckles went white, she walked slowly towards the group, hugging Chi as soon as the woman was in reach.

“Chi-chan! I’m so glad to see you again but next time try not to look like you’re dying,” she greeted the woman cheerfully.

“Did Fumiko reach you?” Chiasa asked tiredly, a faint smile grazing her face.

Nodding, Kaya turned to hug Sasuke as well.

“Yes, she’s hunting right now, I think. But I have to say, I am concerned. I wish our meeting would have been under better circumstances. I’ve never met the Snake Sannin personally, but I have heard rumours about his experiments. Now come on, you’re in desperate need of a break.”

Linking her arm with the Uchiha’s, Kaya firmly led them towards her home whilst she continued to tell stories about the other villagers and what had happened since Chiasa’s departure. The silver-haired shinobi watched her just as intently as he had done the first time around, perhaps even a bit more. Though, the old woman was fairly sure most of his focus lay on the Uchiha next to her and the children walking behind them. She may be old, but she wasn’t stupid nor blind to see that something had happened between the two adults. But that was a topic for later consideration, as right now, she had to figure out just what exactly the Sannin had done to the young woman and how to help. The Uzumaki child was also a conversation for later. It filled her heart with warmth to see one of her kin returning to their roots even if just for a short while.


	16. Chapter 15

Kaya led the group to her house at the edge of the village. As she quietly talked to Chiasa, attention on her weakening form, she couldn’t help but steal some glances at the blond child. The Uzumaki looked around with eyes wide in wonder, as if he couldn’t believe the beauty that was Whirlpool country. Kaya understood his feelings; she had felt the same weightlessness and acceptance when she had visited the ruins of her home for the first time after the massacre. She had been a child when Uzushio had fallen and she had returned to her island as a young woman, and even though she had wanted to cry and scream and curse and hate for the gruesome fate of her kin, Uzushio hadn’t let her. The island had welcomed her home with open arms, her soft breeze wiping away her tears that had threatened to fall, her sunrays a warm embrace, her crashing waves a mirror of her anger.

“He knows,” whispered Chiasa suddenly, watching the Uzumaki child fondly.

Curious, Kaya looked at her, waiting for the Uchiha to explain.

Smiling faintly, the woman murmured: “I’ve told him about Kushina-oba-san and Uzushio, but I believe he’d want to hear more. If you want you should tell him about your island and clan; Naruto deserves to know it all and there’s only so much I can tell him, both because my knowledge is limited, and I’m also bound by the rules of Konoha to a certain extent.”

“I think, I’d like that,” muttered Kaya thoughtfully.

Her time in this realm was coming to an end and if she could tell that one Uzumaki child of their family and Uzushio, if she could make sure that Uzushio’s spirit lived on even if just in one soul, she would be able to meet her ancestors proudly in the pure lands. She’d be able to tell them that Uzushio lived and wasn’t forgotten, no matter how hard the other nations had tried to wipe them from memory.

All the sudden, Chiasa stumbled, almost pulling the elder woman with her if it hadn’t been for Kakashi, who was suddenly there and caught her just before she’d hit the ground. Wisps of hair fell into her face and Kakashi gently nudged them away, caressing her cheek at the same time.

“You have to be more careful,” he reminded the kunoichi hoarsely, as he stood back up with her in his arms.

“I can walk the rest, Hatake,” hissed Chiasa quietly, red creeping into her cheeks.

However, the Jounin ignored her easily, turning to Kaya expectantly.

Chuckling, the old Uzumaki shook her head. Young love was uniquely beautiful, and she was glad to have seen it one more time. She hadn’t been sure of the Hatake earlier but that simple display of affection was proof enough for her. But it seemed as if the children weren’t aware of their feelings for each other and Kaya mourned their innocence. She grieved for their harsh life littered with so much hurt that they have forgotten how to be honest to themselves.

“We’re almost there,” she told the silver-haired shinobi, concern filling her after the happiness for the young woman left.

Waving she motioned to a small house just a handful of steps away.

“See, you can let me down,” grumbled Chiasa sulkily.

“Not a chance, Hime.”

After they entered Kaya’s home and Kakashi situated Chiasa on the bed, the old Uzumaki crouched near the woman pushing the long strands of velvety hair aside to get a look at the seal marring her neck.

It was an abomination and Kaya felt sick just looking at it. Frowning, she got up, searching her small study for some paper and ink; it would take some time to read the seal correctly and figure out what it did and how to destroy it. But seeing Chiasa’s deteriorating state – the woman had mentioned in her message that she was feverish and fatigued ever since the seal was placed – they didn’t have much time. She was in no way a medic-nin, not even a doctor or something, but she hadn’t lived through wars and disaster without picking up some knowledge about the human body. If the fever rose too high or if it went on for a long time, Chiasa’s body would shut down eventually and with it her ability to counter the Sannin’s seal. What she had seen at first sight, all pointed to the conclusion that the seal was linked to her willpower.

“Can you get rid of it?” asked the Hatake after a while, desperation seeping into his voice.

Biting her lip, she focused on one of the pitch-black tomoe marring the Uchiha’s skin.

“Kaya-san? What’s going on?”

That was young Ryuu watching her, a fear in his eyes that she knew all too well. The fear of being left alone and losing the one you cherish most.

“Don’t worry, Sasu,” murmured Chiasa breathlessly, smiling faintly at her brother and the other children. “I’m fine. How about you show Naruto and Sakura the island? You could search for Fumiko and let her know that we’re here.”

“But…” the young Uchiha protested, not even giving in as his sister glowered at him.

“You didn’t tell them,” stated Kaya, old eyes watching the children concerned.

“They didn’t need to know.”

Chiasa stared at the ground, a scowl on her face but steel in her voice.

“Nee-san?” Sasuke’s voice was so confused and even Naruto and Sakura looked at her with worry that it broke her a little bit more.

“I’m fine,” she told them again, keeping the tremor out of her voice.

Kakashi hadn’t moved from his place in front of the door – a protector through and through – but the wolf in him bristled at the rising tension. His pack had just found back together again, he’d not let any tension rise between them.

“Sasuke, your sister will be fine,” he began, feeling Chiasa’s grateful eyes on him; they would soon be filled with disappointment but there could be no lies between pack. They were still pups, but if Kakashi and Chiasa left them in the dark for too long, if they shielded them from the truth, they would become careless. And carelessness always, always ended in death. He refused to let his pack go down that road!

“During the fight with Orochimaru he marked her with an uncomplete seal. There’s no one in Konoha who could destroy it, so we asked Kaya-san for help.”

“Kakashi!”

The snarl of the kunoichi came at the same time as the Gennin froze, eyes wide with fear – not of the Sannin but for the dark-haired woman.

“You lied,” Sasuke’s whisper echoed through the room, thick with betrayal.

Hastily, Chiasa pushed herself up, almost toppling over as her arms bend under her wright if not for the Hatake, who was suddenly by her side again.

“Sasuke, I-”

“You promised not to lie to me. If you didn’t want me to now, you’d say so and I’d understand. That’s what you promised me!”

Turning around, Sasuke fled the house unable to stay there any longer, lest he broke down in tears. Fear had taken a hold of him, blinding him to anything other than the fact that his sister had hidden her injury, lying into his face repeatedly without hesitation, without guilt.

In five years, she had never not told him that she was hurt, had never lied to him about her health. There had been times where she had told him she didn’t want to talk about it, and he had understood that.

If she didn’t want to worry him, then it was the wrong move!

Kakashi-sensei had known about it, and when had that man become more important than him?! When had he lost the worth in Chiasa’s eyes? Was it when he had failed the Hatake’s test? Was it when he had let the council utter that degrading proposition? Was it when he had cried because the compound had made him scared to death? Was it when he had run from Orochimaru, leaving his most precious person behind?

By Amaterasu, he’d burn that snake. He’d find him and rip out his throat, teaching him the anger of the Uchiha clan. He’d make him suffer for daring to hurt his sister and he’d not stop until the man was dead. And afterwards Konoha would burn and tremble under his rage. It would burn for being too weak to protect his sister in its own walls. A sudden had on his arm ripped him out of his revenge driven thoughts, forcing him to lock eyes with azure blue orbs full of worry and concern.

“Oi, teme. You need to stop; you’re setting everything on fire.”

Looking aside, Sasuke just noticed that he had ran into the small bit of forest surrounding the fisher village and the now burning bush.

“Idiot boys,” muttered Sakura annoyed as she pouted water from her flask over the small fire.

“Talk to us, Sasuke,” she ordered him, a threat in her green eyes. “it’s not like you to just run away.”

Usually, the Uchiha would throw a tantrum, showcasing the terrifying Uchiha temper – it had happened more than once in the five months she had known him, and it didn’t make sense for him to flee without a fight.

“She’s right, teme.”

Sasuke’s eyes snapped from Sakura to the blond, his throat squeezing tight at the fierceness in their eyes. They worried about Chiasa too.

“I-” he gulped, a sting in his eyes. “I think the only reason Nee-san would lie to me is if she’s dying,” he whispered, his words a slap in the face for his teammates.

They hadn’t even thought that far, hadn’t even considered that Chiasa-nee could die because, well, she was Chiasa-nee. The strongest kunoichi they knew, the woman who had taught them even when they weren’t her team, the woman who had taken the time to get to know them – really know them and not just the demon brat and the useless civilian girl, the woman who treated them with respect even when they acted like brats, the woman who always, always came to their rescue, the woman who had given them a home, love and family.

“What?” stuttered Sakura, letting her flask fall.

“NO!”

Naruto had taken a step back, hands gripped into fists as his body trembled and his eyes turned red.

“She’s not dying!”

“She’s not.”

A calm voice shocked the children and they snapped around to look at their silver-haired sensei leaning relaxed against a tree.

“Chiasa’s not dying,” he repeated firmly. “Kaya-san is able to destroy the seal and then she’ll be absolutely fine.”

“How do I know you’re not lying?” demanded Sasuke angrily even as a wetness rolled down his cheeks.

“Because” and now the Hatake crouched down to their height, staring intently into his students eyes. “I told you the truth when your sister wanted to keep it from you. We are _pack_ , Sasuke, and there are no lies between pack.”

All the sudden the three Gennin threw themselves at him, clinging to him as they allowed themselves to feel and Kakashi held them even as he craved to be back in the small house with his kunoichi that wasn’t even his to begin with. Cold fingers clutched his heart, squeezing it so tightly he could barely breathe as he thought back to what happened after the Gennin had left.

**_*Flashback*_ **

_“Kaya-san, can you do it?” he asked again, more forcibly this time – torn between going after the pups and staying with the kunoichi in his arms._

_Frowning, the old woman nodded slowly._

_“It is feasible since it is only an incomplete seal, but it will be painful. I don’t have any of the tools usually needed for the procedure, but it can be done like this. I’ve learned the process form the old Uzumaki scrolls, though I’ve never tried it on anything more than a simple chakra suppressing seal.”_

_The old Uzumaki looked down at the two Jounin, biting her lip in consideration._

_“Chi, your body is not strong enough to handle the strain, but it won’t get any stronger either as long as that seal is on you. That seal gives the user increased chakra levels and physical capabilities when activated, but also corrodes the user’s mind. However, since it isn’t complete it tries to activate itself by pulling your chakra in, and your chakra is fighting the constant drainage, weakening your body in the process. There’s also a foreign chakra essence in your system trying to corrupt you.”_

_The two Jounin listened intently, Chiasa’s frown deepening and Kakashi’s hold in the kunoichi tightening._

_“Do it,” ordered Chiasa after a moment of silence. “Do it now.”_

_“Let me get my things.”_

_There wasn’t any point in putting the procedure off; the earlier the better, really._

_“Go after the kids, Kakashi,” murmured Chiasa when Kaya had left the room, pushing the Jounin lightly away._

_Reluctantly, Kakashi let go of her, forcing his body to move and slamming his instincts into the darkest corner of his mind._

_“Hime-”_

_Her eyes looked tiredly at him, not only physical fatigue but also emotional exhaustion swimming in the darkness._

_“It’s okay,” she told him as if knowing what had been on his mind. “I should have told him earlier; I don’t blame you. Just, please, go and make sure they are alright.”_

_A sharp nod was all he could give the Uchiha, his ability to utter a word having left him in the face of Chiasa. He was almost out of the house when Kaya snatched his arm, whispering sternly: “Keep the children away, Hatake-san. They should not be near when I destroy the seal. I’d rather not have a raging jinchuuriki, livid Uchiha and furious girl tearing through Whirlpool country.”_

_Kakashi tensed, immediately on high alert at the mention of the jinchuuriki but the disapproving glare of the Uzumaki forced his muscles to relax._

_“Chiasa?” he asked because that would be the only sensible explanation._

_“She never gave me a name, but I knew.”_

_Putting the thought aside- because that was another talk, he had to have with the kunoichi about village secrets – he just nodded, muttering instead: “Don’t start without me.”_

_It was as much a request as a threat, but Kaya only rolled her eyes._

_“Go.”_

**_*Flashback end*_ **

After the pups had calmed, Kakashi sent them to check out the surroundings, Chiasa’s falcons having joined them a few minutes earlier. Reassured in the knowledge that his team would be all right for the moment, the Hatake returned to Kaya’s house.

The calm he had gathered with his pups was gone the second he opened the front door and Chiasa’s pained screams broke through the otherwise silent air. 

In a flash, he was next to the women, hand hovering over Kaya’s shoulder as the Uzumaki murmured strained: “If you attack me now, she’ll die. Step back and stay in control.”

Wrenching back control over his body – forcing his inner wolf down – Kakashi stumbled back; blood filling his mouth as he bit his lips so hard, he bled. Hound had never been closer to the surface as right now when the Uchiha writhed in pain and he had to watch helplessly. Over and over her screams echoed through the room – and Kakashi was torn between ripping everything to shreds or putting his hands over his ears, rolling into a ball like a child – but worse were the whimpers. The quiet, heart wrenching whimpers that were like a kunai into his heart.

Finally, finally it stopped and Kakashi’s gaze snapped up, hastening from the corner he had forced himself into to the now silent Uchiha. He gathered her into his arms whispering soft nonsense into her ears. Masked lips hesitantly touched her forehead, her cheeks – wiping away stray tears.

“I’ve got you. I’ve got you.”

He kept holding er as she succumbed to exhaustion.

* * *

While Kakashi clung to the Uchiha kunoichi, wrangling with his ANBU personality for control, the other members of Team 7 had gone to explore Whirlpool country and had come across a small, abandoned settlement. The Gennin eyed the settlement with varying levels of shock; Sasuke had already seen the destruction that had befallen Whirlpool country at the fall of Uzushio, for Sakura it was just a group of buildings taken back by nature, but for Naruto it was heart-breaking. He had never seen the island in its prime, but he was an Uzumaki and Uzushio’s soul lived on in him. The blond was unusually quiet and Sasuke couldn’t bear to tell him about the state of Uzushio. Hesitantly, the blond shuffled around, hands hidden in the pockets of his black shinobi pants.

“Sensei said we’re _pack_ , right? That there should be no secrets, right?” he whispered, voice unusual serious.

Sasuke watched the blond warily, remembering the Hatake’s words and what they meant in the long run. As an Uchiha he didn’t know the concept of pack, but family and love were everything for them. Blood over anything. But his sister and brother were the only blood left and one of them was out of reach.

Kakashi-sensei wasn’t his blood, but he had given them a home and had been a good friend to his sister. He had taken them from the Uchiha clan compound when they had nowhere else to go. Sakura wasn’t his blood either, but she had stood by his side when he hadn’t known anyone in Konoha. She had taken his side without question when he had frozen at the smell of alcohol, she had fought by his side in the Forest of Death and she had followed them to Whirlpool country against the wishes of the Hokage. Naruto wasn’t his blood either, but the blond was the first friend Sasuke had made, he didn’t judge him, he had come to his rescue during the fight with Haku… and Sasuke actually liked him. He was kind, with a heart too big and forgiving for this world that consisted of blood and ash. So, Team 7 might not be his blood, but they came close to it. _Pack_ would be a good word to describe them, but it also meant no secrets. He’d have to tell them about the massacre and Chiasa’s wish to rescue Itachi and his decision to help her.

“…I want to be…” admitted Sakura, wringing her hands nervously. “I’ve never had many friends other than Ino and now Lee, but I like you two and being part of Team 7. My parents were never really home when I was younger, so I don’t know what a family is supposed to be like, but I think Team 7 could be one. A family, I mean.”

There was fear in her eyes as she laid herself bare to her teammates. She had been rejected and bullied so many times before and despite knowing that Naruto and Sasuke were nothing like her childhood bullies, the fear persisted.

Now, both looked at Sasuke expectantly – the only one who hadn’t said anything yet.

Schooling his face into an impassive mask, the Uchiha stated: “Family’s everything to an Uchiha; we would burn the world to the ground for those we cherish. Naruto, Sakura, I’ve only really known you for a few months, but we’ve already been through so much. We fought Zabuza and even Orochimaru. You’ve been on my side since I’ve been in Konoha… You’re precious to me… but allying yourself with me and my clan comes with consequences. I don’t like Konoha much and Nee-san won’t bend to their will forever, so the village will look at you with disdain at some point. They could even prevent a rightfully earned promotion just because Nee-san or I did something they didn’t like. If you still want me in your pack after knowing this, then…”

Suddenly, he was stormily hugged by his teammates.

“Of course, teme!”

“Yes, Sasuke!”

Sighing, the brunet relaxed into the embrace, letting the warmth and love seep into his being.

“Okay,” he whispered, the aloof mask slipping to show the vulnerability he felt. “Okay.”

“I’m the jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi no Youko. It means I contain the nine tailed fox,” muttered Naruto suddenly, body tensing. “That’s why everyone hates me.”

Sasuke had already known that but Sakura hadn’t and now it made suddenly sense as to why the blond had questioned them.

Sakura didn’t let go of the two boys – _her_ boys – even as her mind raced through the new information, recalling everything she knew about a jinchuuriki, which – concerningly – wasn’t very much.

“But didn’t the Yondaime kill the Kyuubi?” she asked confused, her brilliant mind already coming up with theories that gave an entirely new insight.

“A bijuu can’t be killed, only sealed,” explained Sasuke when Naruto couldn’t get a word out, too scared to even breath in fear that his teammates would hate him just like the rest of the village did. 

Slowly, the puzzle pieces came together and the picture they painted was … incredulous.

“Why you?” the pinknette asked curiously, wanting to be sure before she said something that would change everything.

“His Kaa-san was the previous jinchuuriki, she died when the Kyuubi was extracted during Naruto’s birth.”

Humming to herself, Sakura frowned thoughtfully.

“You were born on October 10th, the same day the Kyuubi Attack happened, your Kaa-san was the previous jinchuuriki, you were left an orphan after that night, the Yondaime chose you to host the Kyuubi … you look just like the Yondaime, at least your colouring … there aren’t any blonds in Konoha except the Yamanaka and you’re not one of them; Ino would have said something.”

“What are you saying?” asked Sasuke taken aback, the picture his teammate was panting unbelievable.

“It’s just an idea,” the girl whispered hesitantly. “but what if Naruto is related to the Yondaime? Who else would he entrust a bijuu other than his family? I don’t have proof, but it would make sense.”

Thoughtfully, Naruto muttered: “Chiasa-nee said she wasn’t allowed to tell me about my father ... she was already bending the laws talking about Kaa-san.”

Reassuringly, the young Uchiha squeezed his teammate.

“We’ll figure it out, usuratonkachi.”

“We’re pack. We stick together, protect each other and fight for each other,” declared Sakura, fire in her eyes.

“You don’t hate me?” asked the blond hoarsely, eyes wide with wonder.

“Baka,” the girl nudged the blond lightly. “Of course not. You’re still Naruto and pack. Whether you have a bijuu in your stomach or not.” 


End file.
